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FAMILY PRAYER-BOOK. 

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A 


FAMILY PRAYER-BOOK: 


CONTAINING 

FORMS OF MORNING AND EVENING PRAYERS, 

FOR A FORTNIGHT. 


WITH THOSE FOR 


SCHOOLS, RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES, AND INDIVIDUALS 


BY CHARLES BROOKS, 

MINISTER OF THE THIRD CHURCH IN HINGHAM, 


As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Joshua- 
*■ V 

jFfftft SWtfon. 


BOSTON : 

PUBLISHED BY CUMMINGS, HILLIARD? & CO. 


1825. 

:p 






-f-8V 


I 


847 


DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, TO WIT. 

District Clerk's Office. 

Be it remembered, that on the twenty-first day of August A. D. 
1823, and in the forty eighth year of the independence of the United 
States of America, Cummings, Hilliard, &, Co. of the said district, 
have deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof 
they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to wit: 

“ A Family Prayer-Book : containing Forms of Morning and 
Evening Prayers, for a fortnight. With those for Schools, Religious 
Societies, and Individuals.—‘As for me and my house, we will serve 
the Lord.’—Joshua.” 

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, en¬ 
titled “An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing ihe 
copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of 
such copies, during the times therein mentioned and also to an act, 
entitled, “ An act supplementary to an act, entitled, An act for the 
encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, 
and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the 
times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the 
artsot designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints.” 

JNO. W. DAVIS, 

Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. 

/fs 


Cambridge i—flilliard § Metcalf 



TO HEADS OF FAMILIES, 


RESPECTED CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, 

I am invited now to offer you the fifth 
edition of this Family Prayer-Book. The 
prayers have been composed and selected with 
continual reference to those high and sacred pur¬ 
poses of' religion which you would desire to 
cherish and recommend. To you therefore 
this volume is respectfully dedicated as the ex¬ 
pression of an earnest wish to advance the 
spirit of true devotion and pure Christianity. 

Hingham , 1825. 




CONTENTS. 


Page 

Morning and 'Evening Prayers for a Fortnight .# 1 to 96 

Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings. 
PRAYERS. 


For a Sick Person - - - 97 

For a Sick Child - <- - - - 98 

In time of Sickness - - 99 

In time of War 99 

After the Death of any Person in a Family - - 100 

After the Death of a Neighbour - - - - 101 

For a Person going on a Journey - - - - 103 

For a Person going on a Voyage - - - - 103 

For Rain - - - - - 104 

For Favourable Weather - - - - 105 

THANKSGIVINGS. 

For Recovery from Sickness - - - - 106 

For Peace - - - 107 

After a Journey - - - - - 107 

After a Voyage - - - 108 

For Rain - - - 108 

For Fair Weather - - - - - 109 

For a Fruitful Season - - - - - 109 

For Health, or any particular Blessing - - - 110 

Family Prayers adapted to particular times. 

At the Close of the Year - - - - 111 

At the Beginning of the Year - - - 113 

Spring - - -- ---115 

Summer - - - - - -118 

Autumn ----- - 120 

* Where the asterisk (*) occurs, in the daily prayers, the occa¬ 
sional prayers and thanksgivings may be properly introduced. If 
any of the prayers are too long, the reader may choose, omit, or 
alter, as he deems it expedient. 



CONTENTS* 


VIII 


Winter - - - - 122 

Annual Fast - - - - - 125 

Annual Thanksgiving - - - - 129 

Christmas - - - - - - 131 

Prayers for Individuals. 

Morning Prayer for an Individual - - - 135 

Evening Prayer for an Individual - - - 138 

Sabbath Morning Prayer for an Individual - - 142 
Sabbath Evening Prayer for an Individual - - 147 

Morning Prayer for a Communicant - - - 151 

Evening Prayer for a Communicant - - - 153 

For a Person after entering Church - - 15*6 

Prayer at Church after the Services are ended - - 156 
For an Aged Person - - - - - 157 

For a Person in Middle Life - 159 

For a Person in Active Business - - 162 

For a Parent - - - 164 

Morning Prayer for a Child - - - 166 

Evening Prayer for a Child - - - - 168 

The Seaman's Prayer - - - 169 

For a Sick Person - - - - -170 

After Recovery from Sickness - - - - 172 

After the Death of a Parent - - - - 176 

After the Death of a Husband or Wife - - 177 

After the Death of a Brother or Sister - - 178 

After the Death of a Child - - - _ _ 18o 

General Prayer by Sir W. Jones - - - 181 

Prince Eugene's Prayer - - - - 184 

Forms of Service for Public Worship. 

Morning Service - 
Evening Service - - 

Morning Prayer for a School 
Evening Prayer for a School - . 

Morning Prayer for a Sabbath School 
Evening Prayer for a Sabbath School 
Funeral Prayer - 


- 187 

- 194 

- 199 

- 202 

- 204 

- 206 
- 209 


Selection of Hymns 


213 


PRAYERS. 


SUNDAY MORNING. 


Eternal and infinite Jehovah ! Framer of our 
bodies and Father of our spirits! we adore thee 
as our Father and our God, and the God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,—as that most 
high and holy Being, whom angels praise, whom 
dominions adore, before whom all powers fall 
down and tremble, and whose excellent glory 
cherubim and seraphim proclaim forever. On 
this morning of the day sacred to thee, we would 
come before thee, in the name of that Saviour, 
whose glorious rising this day commemorates. 
By thy good providence we are once more per¬ 
mitted to assemble in the tranquillity and happi¬ 
ness of the family circle. Thou hast watched 
over us during the past night, hast spared our 
lives, and made us the monuments of thy pre¬ 
serving goodness. And now, our Father, may 




we come to thee in the spirit of faith and devo¬ 
tion. Save us from the guilt of hollow profes¬ 
sions and heartless prayers,—and let us not draw 
near unto thee with our lips, while our hearts 
are far from thee. 

We praise thee, God of grace, for all those 
religious blessings, which we are now especially 
called upon most gratefully to remember, and for 
all the holy recollections w hich this day brings 
to our minds. Glory be to thee, Father of mer¬ 
cies, for that Saviour, who triumphed over the 
grave and made death his captive. We bless 
thee, that thou, who, in times past, didst speak 
unto the fathers by the prophets, hast, in these 
latter days, spoken unto us by thy Son Jesus 
Christ; that thou hast sent him to go before 11 s 
in the way of duty and of suffering, to be our 
guide and deliverer, to save us from our sins, 
and to show us the way to thy favour, w hich is 
life, and thy lovingkindness, which is better 
than life. How should we adore thy goodness, 
O God, that when spiritual darkness covered 
the earth, and mankind had wandered far from 
thee, thou didst stretch forth the arm of thy 
mercy, mighty to save, and powerful to bless,— 
and that the Messenger of thy truth and love 
appeared, the friend of sinners, and the guide 
to immortality. We bless thee, that though 



3 


earth be a land of darkness, and over it be spread 
the shadow of death, yet there is an inheritance 
of glory reserved for thy children in a brighter 
world,—that though we are born to die, yet 
Christ hath taught us, that we die but to live 
for ever,—and through the grave hath opened 
to us the pathway to the mansions of bliss and 
glory. And we pray, O Father, that while we 
are grateful for the high and rich blessings of 
the Gospel, our hearts may be subdued to its do¬ 
minion and sanctified by its influences; that we 
may live in the purity of Christian faith, and die 
in the joy of Christian hope. 

Father in heaven! we beseech thee to be with 
us, and bless us this day, and prepare our hearts 
for thy service. O send out thy light and thy 
truth ; let them lead us, let them bring us to thy 
holy place. In thine earthly temple, may we 
this day meet around thine altar, and there put 
away all our earth-born passions, our distracting 
cares, our vain and frivolous thoughts, and offer 
to thee that homage of the soul, which thou wilt 
not despise. May we enter thy gates with 
thanksgiving, and thy courts with praise, there 
to pour out our hearts to thee in the voice of 
prayer, and to seek some good instruction, some 
purifying, sanctifying, influences from thy holy 
word. O save us from a careless, formal, hyp- 


4 


^critical worship; and when we receive good 
impressions, let them not be as the morning 
cloud and the early dew. We lament before 
thee, that we have so often forgotten thy good¬ 
ness and violated thy laws, and that our souls 
have been so much estranged from thee, and 
from pure and holy things. We pray that this 
day, and during the whole of our lives, we may 
love thee more and serve thee better than ever 
yet we have done. May we leave behind, our 
follies and our sins, and press on toward the 
mark for the prize of the high calling of God, 
which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. May the 
virtues and graces of the Gospel be the ornaments 
of our lives and characters. May we seek to 
imitate the example of our Saviour, and to trans¬ 
cribe into our own souls something of his meek¬ 
ness and humility, his fervent piety and patient 
resignation, his enlarged benevolence, his gene¬ 
rous and holy zeal in doing good. Knowing 
that a day is coming, in which thou wilt render 
unto every one according to his works, may we 
be as those who live for eternity. 

* 

We pray for thy servant, who ministers in 
sacred things to the society, of which we are 
members. Bless his labours in the cause of 
Christ, and make him the instrument of turning 


many to righteousness. Let thy blessing rest 
on all the ministers of the Gospel; may they be 
animated, faithful, zealous, and successful in the 
office of imparting and enforcing the truths, the 
warnings, and the hopes of our holy religion. 
We pray that thy presence and blessing may be 
with all the assemblies of thy worshipping people 
this day,—and may the efficacy of thy word be 
displayed in turning men from the error of their 
ways unto thee, the living and true God. Grant, 
O God, that the kingdom of thy Son may be 
more widely diffused and more firmly established, 
and that all the nations of the earth may come 
to the knowledge and worship of thee, through 
Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. In his name 
we offer our prayer, and ascribe unto thee all 
power and glory forever. Amen. 


SUNDAY EVENING. 

Father of lights! Eternal God! At the 
close of this thy holy day, we would assemble 
around the family altar, to remember thy rich 
mercies to us. We would feel sympathy with 
the holy calmness of this hour ; and approach 
thee as becomes those, who have learned of 
1 * 



6 


Christ; who have drunk deep of the spirit of 
Jesus; whose communion hath been with God, 
and who have been called to glory and immor¬ 
tality. With ready steps and with cheerful 
minds, have we joined our Christian brethren, 
who keep this day holy to the Lord ; and may 
the affections, which have been called out by 
the services of this day, now accompany our 
devotions, and go with us through the week. 

Father of mercies! when we hear of thy rich 
provisions for our spiritual welfare, our souls 
would kindle into the highest praise. 

Glory be to thee, that when all flesh had 
corrupted its way, and the world was dead in 
trespasses and sins, without the knowledge of 
thee, thine eye beheld man in pity, and thine 
arm was outstretched for his deliverance. Glory 
be to thee, that in the fulness of time, thou didst 
send thy well-beloved Son, not that he should 
be the messenger of wo, not that he should con¬ 
demn the world, but that the world through him 
might be saved. Glory be to thee, that he is 
made of God unto us wisdom, and righteous¬ 
ness, and sanctification, and redemption. How 
do we rejoice in his precious discoveries and 
his heavenly doctrines; in his astonishing works, 
and his spotless example! How' are we fill¬ 
ed with admiration that he was made perfect 


7 


through sufferings; that he humbled himself and 
became obedient to the death of the cross ; that 
he is set forth to be a mercy-seat through faith 
in him, and that he saves us from future misery, 
by affording us the means of escape. Glory be 
to thee, that by his death he has destroyed the 
terrors of the grave; that he is exalted above 
principalities and powers; that a name is given 
him which is above every name ; that he is able 
to save to the uttermost all who come unto thee 
through him, and that he has entered into 
heaven as our Captain and Forerunner. 

O God ! never can we sufficiently thank thee 
for that bread of life which came down from 
heaven.—Never can we be sufficiently grate¬ 
ful to thee, for preparing such a table for us in 
the wilderness of this world. Hungering and 
thirsting after righteousness, may we be satisfied 
with thy likeness; and do thou still feed us 
with religious wisdom. As we have received 
the Lord Jesus for our Saviour, O help us to 
walk in him ; to be transformed into his image ; 
to be tenderly touched by his sufferings, and to 
rely firmly upon his promises. May we make 
his cause our personal concern, and labour to 
promote it with all our powers. Being mem¬ 
bers of the same spiritual body, may we be care¬ 
ful to exercise friendship and kindness towards 


8 


all men ; and help each other, to the best of our 
ability, in the way of eternal life. 

Glory be to thee, that means and opportunities 
are afforded us for strengthening our affection 
to thy Son, and for imbibing his holy temper 
and disposition. We thank thee for what our 
eyes have seen and our ears have heard this day. 
May the religious lessons we have received, 
sink deep into our minds, and have an abiding 
influence on our lives. 

This day reminds us that Jesus Christ burst 
the gates of the grave, and led captivity captive. 
He now lives with thee in heaven. O grant that 
we may obtain all the benefits which flow from 
his death, his resurrection, and his glory. We 
presume not to come to thine altar trusting in 
our own righteousness, but in thine infinite 
compassion and unmerited kindness in Jesus 
Christ. Pardon our sins, according to the 
gracious covenant thou hast made with thy 
people through him. We desire to renounce 
every passion and pursuit, inconsistent with thy 
service, and with the gratitude we owe,to our 
great Deliverer. And now we implore thy 
gracious assistance, O God, that we may be 
crucified unto the world, and that we may 
hereafter live by the faith of thy . Son, who 
loved us and gave himself for us. In all the 


9 


circumstances of this mortal life, may we tread 
in his footsteps with increasing fidelity and de¬ 
light. Though vve see him not, may we rejoice 
in him with joy unspeakable and full of glory ; 
and, at last, receive the end of our faith, even 
the salvation of our souls. 

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good ; 
and his tnercy endureth forever. 

God of the Sabbath ! we thank thee for sanc¬ 
tuary privileges. May thy word, preached in 
its purity, bring forth in us the fruits of right¬ 
eousness. Bless, with thy choice favour, the 
ministers of thy Gospel. May no root of bitter¬ 
ness springing up trouble us; and enable us, 
whether we assemble in thy sanctuary or unite 
in our families, to meet together with one accord, 
to praise thee with gladness and singleness of 
heart, and to continue steadfast in brotherly 
fellowship. 

* 

Heavenly Father! under thy care we are 
always safe. To thee, would we now cheerfully 
resign ourselves and all we possess. Grant to 
each of us, what our trials need. Be with us 
in danger ; and may w r e yet be spared to be 
useful in the world. We offer our prayers 
through the Son of thy love, ascribing to thee 
praises everlasting. Amen. 


10 


MONDAY MORNING. 

Almighty and most merciful God ! Maker of 
all worlds! Judge of men! Thy name is ex¬ 
cellent in all the earth ; and thy glory is above 
the stars. Thou inhabitest eternity, and dweli- 
est in light, which no man can approach. 

We thy dependent and sinful creatures would 
bow before thee, acknowledging how unworthy 
we are to appear in thy presence, or to lift up so 
much as an eye to those holy heavens, where 
thou dwellestt O Lord ! though we are thus 
unworthy to presume on thy favour, yet, so 
great and condescending is thy goodness, as to 
encourage our addresses to thee, by many gra¬ 
cious promises of thy love and acceptance With 
humble confidence, then, would we approach thy 
throne of grace, beseeching thee, in the name of 
Jesus thy beloved Son, to be merciful to us and 
forgive us according to thine abundant goodness. 

We acknowledge, O Father, that we have 
acted foolishly and wickedly, by doing those 
things which thou hast forbidden, and by neg¬ 
lecting to do those things, which thou hast com¬ 
manded: O let that divine mercy, which has 
spared us so long, lead us to repentance, that we 
may forsake our evil ways, and turn unto thee, 
the Tord our God. 


11 


Give us grace, we beseech thee, seriously to 
consider the great work we have to do, and the 
uncertainty of the time thou hast given us, in 
which to perform it so that we may not fool¬ 
ishly consume our days m vanity and indolence; 
in the gratification of corrupt desires and empty 
wishes Grant us aid to lay aside every weight 
and the sin that doth so easily beset us ; and 
may we run, with patience and perseverance, 
the race laid out for us, looking unto Jesus. 

Gracious God ! Thou hast mercy in all thy 
ways, and desirest not the death of sinners, but 
rather that they should turn from their ways and 
live; look in pity upon us, and, through a Re¬ 
deemer, enable us to conquer every evil habit and 
surmount every temptation. Look with thy 
favour upon our remaining part of life : grant, if 
it please thee, that the days, few or many, which 
thou shalt yet allow us, may pass in reasonable 
trust, in holy fear, and ardent love. Strengthen 
our good purposes till they shall produce lives 
pleasing to thee. Enable us so to shun sloth and 
negligence, that every day may discharge part of 
the duties thou hast allotted us: and wilt thou, 
O Lord, further with thy help that labour, which, 
without thy help, must be ineffectual. Enlighten 
us with divine knowledge ; animate us with 
heavenly hope; comfort us in thy love, and aid 


12 


us in all our good resolutions ; so that we, who 
have been created by thy power, and sustained 
by thy providence, may live to answer the high 
purposes of our being, Let us not be spared to 
add wickedness to wickedness ; but to experience 
thy favour, winch is life, and thy loving-kind¬ 
ness, which is better than life. 

We are now to begin another term of duty; 
wilt thou, O God, be with us. May our in¬ 
crease of da^s produce increase of grace; and 
as thy bounties are multiplying upon us, may we 
return thee the offering of holy lives. 

* 

Father of mercies! thou hast defended us 
through another night, and bestowed on us 
another morning. We desire to dedicate to thee 
those lives thou art sparing. Give us wisdom, 
that we may know thee; sanctify our affections, 
that we may love thee; put thy fear into our 
hearts, that we may dread to offend thee, and 
grant that in the conclusion of the day we may 
be able to review our conduct with increasing 
satisfaction, and have our hope in thy mercy still 
more established. 

These our petitions we would offer through 
the Son of thy love, our Intercessor at thy right 
hand ; while we ascribe to thee praises everlast¬ 
ing. Amen. 


13 


MONDAY EVENING. 

Almighty and most merciful God ! who art 
infinitely exalted above every other being! look 
down in mercy upon thy needy and dependent 
children, who, at the close of the day, have col¬ 
lected around the family altar, with the sacrifice 
of prayer and thanksgiving. The faculties, with 
which we worship thee, are thy gift; and of 
thee are all things. We approach thee with 
the persuasion, that no tribute from mortals can 
add to thy happiness, or to thy glory. But we 
rejoice, that, though thou art too great to need 
our offerings, thou art too good to despise or 
disregard them. We rejoice, that, whilst thou 
art superintending the concerns of the universe, 
thou lendest an attentive ear to the voice of 
our supplications. We bless thee for assuring 
us that thou art our Father. 

Thy paternal care and goodness are conspic¬ 
uous in our creation, our safety, and our blessings. 
We would remember with gratitude, that thy fa- 
vours have not been limited to this world ; but 
that thou art training us up, by thy grace and 
care, for everlasting life. We thank thee for the 
instructions and examples of the wise and good, 
and for every opportunity of cultivating knowl¬ 
edge and virtue. Yet most of all, we praise and 
2 


14 


magnify thee, for the rich display of thy love 
in the manifestation of thy Son, Jesus Christ. 
With unfeigned gratitude we acknowledge, that 
by him thou hast given us thy heavenly truth to 
enlighten our minds and sanctify our hearts; and 
that in his life thou hast set before us a model of 
the most exalted goodness to encourage and ani¬ 
mate our endeavours to serve thee. We bless 
thee for the promises of mercy and forgiveness, 
and for the hopes of immortality, which are 
confirmed to us in his Gospel. We rejoice, that 
after he had suffered death upon the cross for the 
reconciliation of us to thee, he was raised by thy 
mighty power from the grave, becoming the 
Author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. 

But while we bless thee, O Father, for thy 
goodness, we would, with shame and confusion 
of face, think of our ingratitude. We lament 
that we have not duly hearkened to thy word ; 
nor been sensible of thy great clemency and 
love. We have neglected the government of 
our thoughts, and the direction of our lives. We 
have permitted temptation to renew its strength 
upon us; and have exposed ourselves to thy 
righteous displeasure. 

Parent of mercies ! will it please thee to hear 
us through Jesus, thy well beloved Son ; and 
through him blot out our sins and remember 


15 


them no more against us. Enable us.hereafter 
to serve thee with filial love and holy fear. May 
we now determine to devote to thee the remain¬ 
der of the lives thou art sparing. O God ! 
accept, defend, and sanctify us. What we know 
not, teach thou us. Whatever in us is evil, dis¬ 
pose and enable us to reform. Whatever in us 
is good, assist us to carry forward to perfection. 
Forgive our sins ; pardon our ignorance. In thy 
great mercy, grant us such things as shall be 
good for us, though we may neglect to pray 
for them ; and deny us such things as would be 
hurtful to us, though we should earnestly desire 
them. Help ns to walk as in thy sacred 
presence, and to live as those who look forward 
to a day of inquiry. 

God of the nations! bless the land in which 
we live. Give success, we pray thee, to the 
lawful and virtuous labour of its inhabitants; 
provide the necessary supplies for all '.their 
wants ; and may public happiness be established 
on the lasting basis of public virtue. May war 
forever cease through the earth, and thy king¬ 
dom come and thy will be done. 

In the spirit of charity we would commend 
all our brethren to thee ; and may thy salvation 
visit them. God of the night, and of the day ! 
we resign ourselves to thy watchful providence 


16 


during the coming hours of rest. When we are 
unprotected, wilt thou protect us; and to thee 
who hast created us, to thee who hast redeemed 
us, to thee who art sanctifying the hearts of thy 
faithful servants, be honour and glory everlasting, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 


TUESDAY MORNING. 

O Lord, our heavenly Father! the great 
Source of life, the benevolent Power, in whom 
are all our springs of comfort and happiness! 
Thou art good and doest good continually ; thy 
tender mercies are over all thy works. Our 
voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord ! 
in the morning will we direct our prayer unto 
thee, and look up. 

To whom should we look up with senti¬ 
ments of gratitude at the beginning of every 
day, but to thee, whose care has protected 
us through the hours of darkness; whose good¬ 
ness hath refreshed us with sleep ? To whom, 
in our ignorance of what a day may bring 
forth, should we direct our prayers, with sen¬ 
timents of trust in a paternal ‘providence, and 
with mutual solicitude for each other’s virtue and 
happiness, but to thee, our eternal Refuge, whose 



17 


mercies toward us are great and constant ? 
Hear, most gracious God, these our united 
prayers and thanksgivings, which the goodness 
we have tasted, and thy grace in Jesus Christ 
encourage us to pour out before thee. It is our 
first, and may it ever be our earnest desire, to 
enter on the employments, and meet the events 
of every day, with a deep sense of the impor¬ 
tance of religion. Dispose us, Father of our 
spirits, amidst all the cares and business of this 
life, to regard the salvation of our souls as the 
one thing needful. Make us a family of sincere 
Christians; render our habitation a holy sanc¬ 
tuary, the residence of piety and Christian knowl¬ 
edge. Let every heart be an altar to thee. 
May the religion of Christ, possessing our wills 
and pervading our affections, become a bond of 
union, the spring of every virtue, the animating 
motive to every duty, a support under every 
trial, and the pledge of thy continued favour 
and everlasting love. 

O Lord most holy ! what we ask for ourselves, 
we desire for others. Increase the number of 
those, who serve thee with holy joy, and with a 
Christian life. Multiply the triumphs of truth 
over error; of the filial spirit of love, over 
gloomy fears. In all the habitations of men, 
from the rising of the'sun to the going down 
2 * 


18 


thereof; may the incense of acceptable praise, 
and the pure offering of virtuous lives be present¬ 
ed unto thee. Endue those who are appointed 
to rule over their fellow men, with superior 
wisdom and benevolence. Inspire all instructers 
of youth, and all teachers of religion, with an 
ardent concern to promote the greatest welfare 
of those for whom they labour. Incline the 
young, O God, to cultivate a sober mind ; to 
remember thee their Creator, Redeemer, and 
Judge; and to acquire those habits, which shall 
secure their present usefulness and future peace. 
Lead those in the middle of life, to labour, 
while it is day, in thy service and for the benefit 
of their fellow men, before the night coineth. 
Support thine aged servants under all their 
infirmities, and help them by their example to 
convince the rising generation, that religion has 
power to shed comfort upon the decline of life, 
and to smooth the passage to the tomb. 

In the arms of faith and prayer we would 
commend to thee the sick and the afflicted, and 
wilt thou be very near and gracious to them in 
weakness and trouble. May thy blessing be 
upon all our families. Grant that parents , may 
be duly impressed with the high and solemn 
trust committed to their charge; and see that 
they set before their children examples, which 


19 


they can follow with safety; and, when they 
die, leave behind them characters, which may 
be remembered with love and veneration. And 
may children be mindful of how much they owe 
to their parents; and be induced to do all in 
their power to promote their happiness. O 
God, grant that all, whether as parents or chil¬ 
dren, as masters or servants, as members of 
families, or as citizens of the state, may dis¬ 
charge their obligations with diligence, fidelity, 
and zeal. In every situation, may it be our 
chief care to do justly, to love mercy, and walk 
humbly before thee, our God. 

In the name of our Redeemer we offer our 
prayer; and in him, the Resurrection and the 
Life, we look forward to a better and happier 
world, to which wilt thou at last receive us; 
and to thee shall be rendered ceaseless praises. 
Amen. 


TUESDAY EVENING. 

O thou, who art over all ! King of kings, 
Lord of lords! Creator and Preserver of all 
beings ! Thou didst speak, and the world was 
made ; thy providence supports the works of 



20 


thy hands, and the happiness of thy creatures is 
thy constant care. 

We rejoice in the assurance, that thou wilt 
hear us when we pray; and that thou takest 
pleasure in those who come unto thee through 
faith in Jesus Christ. As his disciples. Holy 
Father, we now come before thee, and through 
him implore thee to hear us in heaven, thy holy 
habitation, and when thou hearest, forgive. 

With hearts truly moved with a sense of thy 
great goodness; with views such as they should 
have, who experience thy constant bounty and 
sustaining care, would we bow before thee in 
our devotions. Lift upon us, O Lord, the light 
of thy countenance, and give us peace. O let 
not our iniquities stand between thee and us; 
but, by the assistance of thy grace, make us such 
as thou wouldst have us to be. What in us is 
dark, wilt thou illumine; what is weak, wilt 
thou strengthen ; what is erroneous, w ilt thou 
correct; and w hat is low T , w ilt thou raise and 
support. Gracious God ! our hope is in thee. 
To thee would we now surrender every thing. 
To thee we would give up ourselves, our rela¬ 
tions, our friends, our all,—all that we possess, 
and all that we expect. Dispose of us as shall 
seem to thee fit. O Lord ! may we be wholly 
and forever thine. O claim us as thy right: 


21 


keep us as thy charge ; love us as thy children ; 
defend us when we are in danger; heal us when 
we are wounded ; revive us when we are faint¬ 
ing ; and raise us when we fall. 

We thank thee, Giver of every good, for 
sparing us so long, and granting us so much. 
We would see the exhibitions of thy kindness, 
in our creation and safety ; in our being born in 
a land where the glad news of salvation by a 
Redeemer is preached. We would see thee, 
in our nature and condition ; in the structure 
and formation of our bodies ; in the nobler fac¬ 
ulties of our minds; in the exercise of reason ; 
in the intimations of conscience ; in the affec¬ 
tions we cherish ; in the sympathies we feel ; 
and in the means of grace, and the hopes of 
glory. 

O that men would praise the Lord for his 
goodness, and for his wonderful works to the 
children of men ! 

To thee, O Heavenly Parent, we owe it that 
we were not deserted in helpless infancy ; and 
to thee we owe exemption from what our 
ingratitude deserves. Thou hast been kind to 
us, though we have been unthankful. To thee 
we owe our strength, our health, and our family 
blessings. To thy mercy we owe it, that w 7 e 
are not in great affliction, or languishing on the 


bed of sickness, or groaning under the sharpest 
pains, or pining in want. May we ever ac¬ 
knowledge thee, with sincere gratitude, in thy 
bounty that cheers, in thy wisdom that directs, 
in thy truth that enlightens, in thy power that 
sustains, and in thy mercy that forgives us. O 
God, may we see thee as thou art, and where 
thou art. May we ever remember that we pass 
our lives in thy constant presence, and that 
death resigns us to thy gracious disposal. Con¬ 
vince us, O God, that it is more solemn to live 
than to die ; since our condition in an eternal 
world is suspended on the characters we form 
here. 0 may our lamps be trimmed and burn¬ 
ing, and we be like those, who are waiting for 
the coming of their Lord. 

* 

Our Preserver and Benefactor! while we 
thank thee for thy good providence over us 
through this day, we would give ourselves to 
thy paternal care through this night. Make 
not our beds our graves; but give us quiet and 
refreshing sleep, and enable us to see the light 
of another day, prepared for its duties; and to 
thee shall be the glory and praise forever, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 


23 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 

Glory and honour be unto thee, the King 
eternal, immortal, invisble, the only wise God! 
who fillest the heavens and the earth with thy 
presence and thy love! Glory and honour be 
unto thee, the Father and Friend of man! who 
hast formed us after thine own image, made us 
intelligent, free, and immortal, and raised us 
to the dignity of thy children and thy worship¬ 
pers. Thou hast bestowed on us another day; 
and art inducing us, by thy multiplying favours, 
to prepare for higher satisfactions than this world 
can offer. 

Adoration and praise be unto thee, the Father 
of compassion and God of grace ! that thou hast 
pitied thy sinful and erring creatures, and given 
us a Redeemer, who is made able to save to the 
uttermost. By the doctrines, the death, and the 
resurrection of thy Son, thou hast revealed to 
us thy character and will; conferred on us the 
strongest assurance and pledge of thy mercy; 
enriched us with comfort under all our trials 
and distresses; encouraged and enabled us to 
prove faithful to duty ; delivered us from the 
fear of death and hell; and set before us the 
path of life, which leads to endless pleasures at 
thy right hand. 


24 


O God ! how shall we express thy goodness ; 
how shall we estimate thy grace? We are filled 
with amazement, when we recollect, that though 
thou art infinitely exalted, thou deignest to ex¬ 
ercise such condescension and clemency towards 
us. To thee, our homage, our affection, our 
all, are due. 

Merciful Parent of the human family ! enable 
us to live under an habitual sense of the relation 
we sustain towards thee. O may the impres¬ 
sion of thy greatness inspire us with reverence, 
and the remembrance of thy mercy lead us to 
consecrate our bodies and our souls as a living 
sacrifice unto thee. May a cheerful and con¬ 
stant obedience ever prove our gratitude, and a 
patient submission, under our afflictions, ever 
evince our trust. May we more and more re¬ 
joice in Jesus Christ as the Captain of our salva¬ 
tion ; open our hearts to all his discoveries and 
commandments; make them the only rule of 
our faith and practice; aim ccitinually at an 
increasing resemblance of his divine virtues; 
and rely, w T ith unshaken confidence, upon the 
precious promises that he has sealed with his 
blood. By the influence of his holy Gospel, may 
we pass, with usefulness and comfort, through 
all the vicissitudes of this transitory state, and 
become qualified for an entrance into that world, 


25 


where all his followers shall be happy with him 
forever. 

God of the whole earth ! may the religion of 
thy Son rule and sanctify the world. May wars 
and fightings cease from among men, and the 
arts of peace be multiplied. Bless, we fervently 
pray thee, our land. May our rulers rule in 
thy fear, and for the general welfare. May 
our people lead quiet and peaceable lives in all 
godliness and honesty. Vouchsafe to preserve 
to us our civil and religious rights; to protect 
us from the horrors of war; to bless us with 
healthy and fruitful seasons, and to prosper our 
agriculture, commerce, and manufactures. 

Our Father who art in heaven ! Thou hast 
carried us so far through our journey of life; 
we now ask thy presence and protection, during 
this day. Make us industrious, and useful, and 
happy. Be our God in life, our hope in death, 
and our everlasting portion. 

* 

We offer this our morning service, in the 
name and as disciples of thy Son, through whom 
to thee be all honour and glory forever. Amen. 
3 


26 


WEDNESDAY EVENING. 

Almighty and eternal God ! In thy hand 
our times are, and with thee is the number of our 
months. Having experienced fresh proofs of thy 
care and bounty, we would at the close of this day 
kneel before thee in supplication; and before 
we compose our bodies to sleep, would take a 
few moments from weariness to lift our thoughts 
to thy perfections, and send up our requests to 
thy throne of mercy. How grateful should we 
feel, that there is one above us, who will hear 
our prayers, and who can do for us more than 
we can do for ourselves. O God ! without thy 
grace all wisdom is folly, and without thy help 
all efforts are vain. Thou hast been doing good 
to us continually. But alas! how often have 
we been unmindful of our dependence; how 
often have we permitted unsubdued passions to 
lead us from thee and duty ; how often have 
we forgotten that we profess to be followers 
of the humble Jesus! Our God and Father! 
conscious of our errors and sins, we most anx¬ 
iously supplicate thy grace and pardon. Through 
Jesus Christ be merciful to us sinners ; and here¬ 
after so discipline us, that we may be duly sensi¬ 
ble that we are pensioners on thy bounty and de¬ 
pendant on thy power. O suffer us not to make 


27 


shipwreck of our best hopes, through ambition or 
vanity ; but wilt thou keep our eyes from tears, 
our feet from falling, and our souls from death. 
Enable us so to govern our bodily appetites, that 
they may answer the useful ends for which thou 
hast implanted them in our nature. Enable us 
to know ourselves, in order that we may eradi¬ 
cate our evil propensities, before they shall have 
gained a dangerous strength. To this end we 
pray for that effectual faith in Jesus Christ, 
which works by love and purifies the heart, 
which is a shield in every temptation, a guide in 
every duty, and a solace in every trouble. O 
may the true spirit of Jesus dwell in our souls, 
and the power of religion be experienced in our 
hearts. Grant us a more devoted love towards 
thee, and more genuine charity towards our fel¬ 
low men. May we be Christians in spirit and 
in deed. Enable us to exercise that godly sor¬ 
row for our sins, which worketh repentance unto 
life, and may we place the Lord always before 
us. Grant unto us more fidelity and zeal; more 
kindness and love ; more compassionate feelings 
and more benevolent affections; more virtuous 
sympathies and a more devotional spirit. Lead us 
therefore to search the Scriptures daily, to study 
the oracles of divine truth with that seriousness 
and self-application, which shall completely im- 


bue our souls with the piety and purity which 
pervade them. Give to our understandings spir¬ 
itual light. O thou Fountain of knowledge ! give 
us wisdom, the assistant of thy seats ; send her 
from thy holy heavens, from the throne of thy 
greatness, that she may be present with us, and 
labour with us, and teach us what is accept¬ 
able to thee. Throw not a cloud over our 
prospects; but give us hopes full of immortality. 
May we look beyond the perplexities of an 
earthly course to a higher portion and a better 
happiness than the world can give. 

* 

And now, O Holy Father, would we close our 
prayers, imploring, with renewed earnestness, 
thy providential direction in all our ways; kind 
deliverance from trouble ; abundant spiritual 
blessings for ourseleves and other; gracious for¬ 
giveness of our manifold sins; more inward 
peace and satisfaction ; greater progress in holi¬ 
ness ; firmer establishment in every good word 
and work ; and above all, a reception at death 
into thine hands, and a full admission at last 
to eternal glory. 

These we ask, in his name in whom thou 
hast promised to hear us always; and through 
him wilt thou accept us now and ever. Amen. 


29 


THURSDAY MORNING. 

O thou, who art the Revvarder of all those 
that diligently seek thee! Merciful God, re¬ 
ceive, with thy gracious audience, the prayers 
and praises of thy children. 

We adore thee as the greatest and best of 
Beings, the Source of all power, wisdom, good¬ 
ness, and hope. Without thee we can do noth¬ 
ing ; and on thee we depend from day to day. 
Thine energy sustains, thy presence animates, 
thy gracious influence blesses the universe. 
Our ways and purposes are exposed to thine 
inspection ; our joys and sorrows are dispensed 
by thy providence. Thy mercy has given us 
a Redeemer and Guide; and thy undeserved 
love adds to our days and satisfactions, that 
we may be drawn to devote our hearts to thy 
service. 

Receive our thanks, great God, for our being, 
our reason, our health, our friends, our food and 
raiment, and all the other comforts and conven¬ 
iences of life. Most of all we thank thee for 
sending thy Son to save us from the consequen¬ 
ces of sin and death, by raising us to faith, to 
purity, and holiness. We rejoice that|we are 
adopted, by Christianity, into the family of heaven, 
3 * 


30 


and are all enabled to cry Abba, Father. While 
we live on the earth, we pray that we may all 
be of one mind, love as brethren, and live in 
peace ; that thou, the God of peace and love, 
mayest be with us. 

But O, Lord, we lament the sins that sepa¬ 
rate us from thee, our Father. We are disobe¬ 
dient children, and have not done those things 
w T hich thou hast required as our duty. We have 
wasted much time, abused many privileges, and 
omitted to pray to thee in the spirit of Christ. 
O God ! how shall we stand before thee, who 
knowest all our sins of ignorance and presump¬ 
tion ? We will come in the name of Jesus, our 
Mediator, and throw ourselves upon thine infinite 
mercy, intreating thee to make us truly penitent, 
that we may be forgiven. May the fetters of 
sin be broken, and we be visited by the liberty, 
wherewith Christ makes us free. 

May we each one of us do ail in our power 
to advance thy glory, by advancing the good of 
our fellow men. May parents rightly estimate 
the talents put into their hands. In the momen¬ 
tous work of education, may they teach their 
children to view thee as a kind and watchful 
Father, who is able and willing to do more for 
them, than any earthly parent. Forbid that 
they should ever forget, that their offspring 


31 


belong to thee; and that, if, through their crim¬ 
inal neglect or bad example, thy moral creatures 
suffer, thou wilt require them at their hands. 
Grant them ability to strengthen every intellect¬ 
ual power, and moral faculty, and give them 
wisdom to direct each to its proper object. O 
may parents impart to their children such views 
of thee, of Jesus Christ, and of duty, that, as 
they increase in age, they may increase in favour 
with God and man. And may children remem¬ 
ber their solemn obligations to their parents, and 
do all in their power to gratify and assist them. 
May they recollect how many anxious hours 
have been passed for them ; and be induced to 
make returns, by pure, industrious, and good 
lives. 

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
may thy rich blessing rest upon the ministers of 
religion. Give them, we beseech thee, a large 
measure of the spirit of thy Son ; the spirit of 
understanding and wisdom ; the spirit of piety 
and virtue ; the spirit of bevevolence and chari¬ 
ty. Replenish them with an enlightened and 
active zeal for the happiness of their brethren. 
Help them to shine as lights in the world; to 
be exemplary in their families ; exemplary in 
their public walk, and exemplary in the perform¬ 
ance of every Christian office. While they 


32 


study to approve themselves to thee, may they 
be honoured and esteemed by those for whom 
they labour, and rejoice in the assurance that 
their work is not in vain in the Lord. And, 
finally grant, that they and we being built upon 
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone, 
may become an holy temple unto thee. 

* 

Hear us, O God, of thine infinite mercy, in 
these our petitions, which we offer up in the 
name of thy Son ; and thine be all the glory and 
praise now and evermore. Amen. 


THURSDAY EVENING. 

O thou whose name alone is Jehovah ! who 
art the Most High over all the earth ! King of 
kings and Lord of lords—to whom the world 
owes its being and support! In compliance 
with thy gracious invitation, we would come to 
thee with our W'ants, and express to thee our 
gratitude. Me would raise our affections to 
thee, in humble trust and supreme veneration. 
The heavens are thy throne ; the earth is thy 
footstool. Honour and majesty are before thee. 



33 


Powerful is thine arm; unsearchable are thy 
judgments ; righteous is thy reign, and with 
thee there is no respect of persons. Thy dis¬ 
pleasure is revealed against all ungodliness and 
wickedness; thy mercy is sure to the humble 
and penitent; thy counsels are counsels of peace, 
and thy chastisements are chastisements of love. 
We address ourselves to thee, as creatures who 
cannot exist without thy support, who cannot 
be happy without thy blessing. We thank thee 
for all those satisfactions and comforts, which 
have sustained, cheered, and gladdened us in 
every stage of our pilgrimage. O God ! we 
would most devoutty thank thee, that we were 
made with capacities to know and love thee for¬ 
ever. In an especial manner, we bless thee for 
the divine mission of thy Son ; for redemption 
through him, even the remission of sins ; for the 
possession of his glorious Gospel; for the privi¬ 
lege of freely inquiring into its meaning, and for 
the liberty of openly professing our faith. 

What continual gratitude is due to thee, that 
his doctrines clearly enlighten the human mind ; 
that his precepts plainly point out the path of 
duty; that his example incites and encourages 
our works of love; that his death speaks peace 
and joy to the upright believer ; that his resur¬ 
rection from the grave establishes our confidence 


34 


in him, as our Saviour and Redeemer: and that 
his ascension to glory enlivens our best and dear¬ 
est hopes. 

But, O Father, we lament our lukewarmness, 
our disobedience, and our ingratitude. We are 
sinful and weak and erring. Cast us not off, we 
beseech thee, but give us grace hereafter to use 
faithfully the talents we possess, and to act wor¬ 
thily of our holy vocation. We ask for Christian 

4/ •/ 

faith and Christian piety. Help us to shun all 
presumption, and to maintain a humble mind. 
Preserve us from those prejudices, which pervert 
the judgment ; from those passions, which de¬ 
base the understanding; from those mistakes, 
which weaken the principles of Christian virtue; 
and from those superstitious fears, which betray 
men into unworthy conceptions of thee. 

Holy Father! assist us to know thee more 
and more, continually ; to understand ;hy will 
in our exalted destination ; to make thee the ob¬ 
ject of our highest confidence and joy; to love 
thee with ail our souls, and to walk according to 
all thy holy commandments. 

Assist us to learn more of that Saviour, who 
was meek and lowly in heart ; help us to take 
his yoke upon us, and find his promised rest and 
peace. Let our faith in him grow stronger and 
more efficacious, and the same mind be in us. 


35 


which was in him. May his Gospel be com* 
pletely successful iu correcting our errors; in 
forming within us the divine graces of the Chris¬ 
tian character ; in supporting us under the af¬ 
flictions of this transitory life, and in preparing 
us for the glory which is about to be revealed. 
Having lived as his true followers, may the 
remembrance of his crucifixion and triumph 
banish every fear from our bosoms in the hour of 
death. And in the day of judgment, may thy 
grace give us the portion of those to whom the 
Saviour will say—Come, ye blessed of my 
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world. 

* 

O thou, our Great Preserver ! We would, at 
the close of another day, call on thee with senti¬ 
ments of religious gratitude for the many tokens 
of thy past care, humbly imploring thee to keep 
us this night under thy watchful eye, and, if con¬ 
sistent with thy will and our best good, permit 
us to see the light of another day ; and to thee, 
the author of all our mercies, shall be glory, 
honour, and dominion forever, through JesuS 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 


FRIDAY MORNING. 


O thou who saidst—Let there be light; and 
there was light! Infinite Jehovah ! thy hand 
laid the foundations of the earth, and stretched 
forth the expanse of heaven. How wonderful 
and majestic are the exhibitions of thy power! 
But how infinitely superior art thou, the great 
Creator of all things. Thou rulest with an un¬ 
controllable sway; and all things are open to 
thine inspection and subject to thy will. Thou 
increasest the nations, and thou destroyest them. 
Thou killest and thou makest alive. Thou 
woundest and thou healest. Thou bringest low 
and raisest up. Thou art God alone. Thou 
makest spirits thine angels, and flames of fire 
thy ministers. By thine appointment, seed-time 
and harvest, summer and winter, day and 
night, do not cease. The laws of nature are 
thy continued agency, and all their effects are 
the dispensations of thy providence. 

With the opening day we would come to pre¬ 
sent to our heavenly Protector the tribute of 
thanksgiving. During the defenceless hours of 
sleep, thine eye hath watched over us, as though 
we were the only objects of thy care. Thy 
presence hath been the presence of a Father. 


31 


While we rejoice in the light which renews the 
face of nature, what thanks do we not owe thee, 
the God of nature and grace, that the dajspring 
from on high hath visited us! that the sun of 
righteousness hath risen upon us, with healing 
under his wings, to give light to them that sat in 
darkness and in the shadow of death, and to 
guide our feet into the way of peace. 

Heavenly Father! we lament the many un¬ 
worthy returns vve have made for thy great and 
undeserved goodness. When we review our past 
lives, and compare our conduct with the requisi¬ 
tions of thy holy laws, we find abundant cause for 
humiliation. We lament the wanderings of our 
minds, the coldness of our affections, and the 
languor of our prayers. We deeply lament that 
w ; e know so little of religion, and feel so little of 
its power. O God ! give us the comfort of thy 
pardoning love, that we may have hope. Make 
thyself known to us in our moral restoration : and 
grant, that hereafter vve piay have the supreme 
love of thee in our souls, a lively faith in thy 
Son, a pure Christian benevolence to our fellow 
men, and in all our actions, the spirit of that law, 
which requires doing to others, as vve wish others 
should do to us. 

In our daily intercourse with each other, may 
we obey the laws of equity and kindness. May 
4 


38 


we be honest and just in our dealings ; courteous 
and gentle in our conversation ; tender of the 
reputation of our neighbour; candid to each 
other’s frailties and infirmities; kind and com¬ 
passionate to the needy and the afflicted; grate¬ 
ful to our friends and benefactors ; generous 
and forgiving to our enemies ; and charitable to 
all men. 

Grant, O God, that we may be discreet in 
ordering our affairs; industrious in performing 
the business of our stations; moderate in our 
desires, and temperate in our pleasures ; and, 
at all times, heartily disposed to every good word 
and work ; that by patient continuance in well¬ 
doing, we may seek for glory, honour, and 
immortality. 

Bless each one of us now before thee ; and 
let the voice of joy, health, and safety, ever be 
heard in our dwelling: make our walls salvation, 
and our gates praise. May we be a family to 
serve thee. Enable us to distinguish things that 
differ, and to approve such as are excellent. Let 
neither poverty nor riches estrange our hearts 
from true religion* What we need wilt thou 
grant us, and what we possess wilt thou aid us 
to use aright. Let not praise fill us with pride, 
or censure with discontent. Impious would 
it be for us to prescribe to thee, the manner 


in which thou shouldst regulate our lot. But, 
O God, however thou shalt deal with us, give 
us, we beseech thee, that holiness, without which 
no man can see the Lord. 

* 

Aid us, Holy Father, in the duties of this day. 
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from 
evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and 
the glory forever. Amen. 


FRIDAY EVENING. 

Supremely great and glorious Lord our God! 
Thou makest darkness thy pavilion round about 
thee. Thou art a Being whom no mortal eye 
can see, and live. O let it please thee to give 
us right views of thine existence, agency, and 
perfections; knowing, that no distance of place 
can remove us from thy presence, no length of 
time erase us from thy memory, no clouds of 
darkness veil us from thy view. May the 
solemn thought, that thou art with us wherever 
we are, sink deep into our minds, and have a 
practical influence on our lives. 

Having this day united to partake of thy 
bounty, we would now unite to render thee our 



40 


thanks. Blessed be God who daily loadeth us 
with his benefits, and giveth us all things richly 
to enjoy. We thank thee lhat the lines have 
fallen to us in pleasant places, and we enjoy a 
goodly heritage. Thou hast admitted us to 
the privileges of children ; and while we live, 
we would celebrate thy praise. We would do 
thy will with increased fidelity, and bear thine 
appointments with entire resignation. 

O God of wisdom ! teach us the know ledge 
of ourselves. May we keep our hearts w ith all 
diligence, and amidst the trials of this world, 
maintain a constant habit of self-government. 
In prosperity, may we be humble, temperate, 
and charitable, remembering we are men ; in 
adversity may we be patient, and wholly re¬ 
signed to thine unerring providence. Save us, 
O gracious God, from anger and malice ; from 
pride and presumption; and, from the fatal 
influence of seductive examples. Give us pru¬ 
dence to direct our affairs ; resolution to preserve 
our innocence ; and wisdom to retain our in¬ 
tegrity. But especially we pray thee to revive 
in us the spirit of true religion. O revive an 
ardent zeal for thy glory, for the spread of truth, 
and for the practice of righteousness. May the 
entire and cheerful obedience of our lives praise 
thee. Prepare us for the scenes we are to meet 


41 


in life; and when we shall have answered the 
purposes of thy wisdom and goodness here, 
grant us admission to that state, where we may 
see the sublimity of thy designs, and the wisdom 
of the means, by which they are accomplished. 

O God of the spirits of all flesh! hear our 
petitions for our brethren of thy family. As they 
are beloved and cherished by thee, may they be 
so by us. May we be enabled to lighten their 
burdens; to remove from their path the stone 
of stumbling; to befriend their good undertak¬ 
ings, and to unite them more closely to each 
other. 

Reform the sad errors of the Christian world. 
Grant that the worship of thee, O Father, in 
spirit and in truth, established by Jesus Christ, 
may every where prevail, that thy moral laws 
may not be rendered ineffectual by false notions 
of religion, nor the progress of the Gospel be ob¬ 
structed by the wicked lives of those who profess 
it. Put an end to all persecution and usurpa¬ 
tion over the judgments and consciences of 
mankind ; and give us tlie gospel charity toward 
all, who, in sincerity, differ from us in opinion. 
Bless, O God, the means of education; and 
strengthen the hand that is extended to support 
learning. Send forth thy light and truth through 
the whole earth ; so that Christian temples may 
4 * 


be raised to thee in every land, and the incense 
of pure worship ascend from pious hearts, in 
every region. Smile upon our land and direct 
our rulers.—Bless the ministers of religion, and 
the people committed to their charge.—We 
would sympathize with those in sorrow and 
pain; and may the interruption of their temporal 
enjoyments be abundantly compensated by their 
spiritual improvement.—Comfort those who 
mourn, and plead the cause of the orphan, the 
widow, and the friendless. Be thou the guide 
of the young, the support of the aged, and all 
that to thy creatures, which their several wants 
require. 

* 

Gracious Giver of every good ! we thank thee 
for the salvation of the day past. Another step 
is taken in the journey of life; and as our days 
speed their flight, grant that we may number 
them so as to apply our hearts to religious 
wisdom. Be thou our guide and defence through 
all the changes of time and nature; and at last 
receive us to thyself in glory, through Jesus 
Christ our Redeemer. Amen. 


43 


SATURDAY MORNING. 

O thou, whose name alone is Jehovah ! who 
art the Most High over all the earth ! Who is 
a God like unto thee, glorious in holiness, doing 
wonders? Who, by searching, can find out 
God ? Who can find out the Almighty unto 
perfection ? O Lord ! there is none great but 
thee! Who shall number the ages of thine 
eternity; or describe the brightness of thy glory; 
or define the limits of thy power; or enumerate 
the treasures of thy goodness; or fathom the 
depths of thy wisdom ; or estimate the riches 
of thy grace ? Such knowledge is too won¬ 
derful for us! With profound veneration we 
would adore the Being we cannot compre¬ 
hend. From thee, w ho livest forever aud ever, 
we, who are but of yesterday, w ould ask protec¬ 
tion and guidance. We would rejoice that thy 
power is constantly directed by unerring wisdom 
and exerted in effecting the purposes of thy 
boundless love. We, this moment, stand the 
monuments of thy sustaining care; for w e have 
again been raised from the insensibility of sleep, 
to a conscious existence. W T e are before thee 
now, to render our thanksgivings as the disciples 
of Jesus Christ. To thee our spirits would 
ascend in the prayer of faith. Heavenly Father! 

., /■ 


44 


we acknowledge with gratitude the daily boun¬ 
ties of thy providence ; our temporal favours ; 
our spiritual privileges ; our private mercies, and 
the share we have had in public blessings. O 
may we show our thankfulness in our strict 
compliance with all thy laws. We pray lor 
steadfastness in our religious purposes, and 
deprecate that transient goodness, which is 
compared to the morning cloud and the early 
dew. Cleaving to thee and holding fast that 
which is good, may we endure unto the end. 
Increase, O God, our delight in thy law, and 
direct our examination of the sacred Scriptures. 
With just solicitude may we ask for the right 
paths. Excite our diligence in reading, medita¬ 
tion, and prayer. Preserve us from following 
a multitude to do evil; arm us against tlie influ¬ 
ence of corrupt society ; may our choice of com¬ 
panions fall upon such as fear thee and keep thy 
commandments; fortify us against the entice¬ 
ments of sinners; and prevent our entering the 
path of the wicked. May we be content with 
that portion of good things allotted us, trusting 
thy fatherly care to fulfil our reasonable hopes, 
and supply our necessary wants. 

We invoke thine influence to beget within us 
a strong and practical faith in Jesus Christ. 
May we meditate upon thy purposes in giving 


45 


a Saviour to the world, till our hearts are warm¬ 
ed with true devotion. O God ! we pray for 
more religious zeal, for more active piety, more 
Christian charity, and more divine light. Grant 
to each of us greater fidelity in our several 
stations; and while on earth may we work the 
works of thee, our God, who placedst us here. 
May our expectations, relative to futurity, influ¬ 
ence every thought, wish, and pursuit. May 
we consider ourselves, as stewards, and remem¬ 
ber the account we are to render of our talents. 
And O may it be our happy lot in the day of 
inquiry and sentence, to hear the approving 
words, Well done, good and faithful servants. 

May the ministers of the Gospel experience 
in themselves those renovating influences of 
religion which they preach to others. By them, 
may the hungry receive the bread that came 
down from heaven, and the thirsty receive the 
pure waters of life; by them may the stranger 
be taken into our great Shepherd’s fold ; and 
the prisoner visited by the liberty wherewith 
Christ makes his people free. 

Everlasting Father, most holy and merciful! 
thy children look to thee for the protection of 
life in this world, and for its happy continuance 
in the next. It is our first and earnest desire, 
to perform all our duties, under a deep sense of 


46 


the importance of religion, leaving our interests 
to thy disposal. 

■X- 

And now will the God of peace sanctify us 
wholly, and preserve us blameless unto the 
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and present 
us faultless before the presence of his glory with 
exceeding joy. To the only wise God, be glory 
and majesty, dominion and power, both now 
and ever. Amen. 


SATURDAY EVENING. 

O thou, who art the King eternal, immortal, 
and invisible, the only wise God, wilt thou hear 
us with favour when we pray, and grant us 
thine assistance and blessing. O Lord, open 
thou our lips, and our mouths shall show forth 
thy praise. Thou art the first, and thou the 
last,—the ever living and true God. 

At the close of another day and another week, 
we are assembled in the scene of our domestic 
blessings to give thanks to thee and to glorify thy 
name. We are thy creatures, and we would 
come to acknowledge our entire and absolute de¬ 
pendence on thee ; we are thy children, and we 



47 


would look to our Father in heaven with rever¬ 
ence and love ; we are cherished and supported 
by thy bounty, and we desire that our hearts 
may rise in the offering of gratitude to thee; 
vve are frail, and ignorant, and weak, and we 
would pray for thy guidance, assistance, and 
support; we are sinners, and we would implore 
the mercy of tiie God of grace. Enable us, 
O God, to come before thee with a deep and 
impressive faith in thy being and providence, 
with joy in thy wise and righteous government, 
with gratitude for thine unnumbered mercies, 
with the spirit of acquiescence in thine appoint¬ 
ments and of submission to thine authority. 
By all around us and all within us, we are 
taught that thou art good, and that thy tender 
mercies are over thy works. If sometimes the 
potion of life is bitterness and sorrow, we bless 
thee for the assurance we have, that afflictions 
are messengers sent for wise and good purposes; 
and that like as a father pitieth his children, so 
the Lord pitieth them that fear him ; for he 
knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we 
are dust. From thy bounteous hand, O God, 
all our blessings descend, and every day we 
experience thy goodness in our social enjoy¬ 
ments, in the health of our bodies and the 
peace of our minds, in our means of improve- 


48 


inent and happiness. Through Jesus Christ 
thy grace has been continually proffered to us, 
and the light of divine truth has been shining 
upon us. We would particularly remember 
with gratitude the mercies which we have 
received during the past day and the past 
week. In the midst of our various cares and 
pursuits, thou hast been pleased to protect and 
bless the members of this family ; and, notwith¬ 
standing our follies and sins, our day of grace 
is yet prolonged, and we are spared, while so 
many have gone down to darkness and dust. 

O God, may each heart among us be an altar 
to thy praise. Suffer us not to go on from day 
to day, and from week to week, supported by 
thy power and blessed by thy bounty, and yet 
unmindful of the hand which upholds us and 
makes us happy. Give us grace to be grateful, 
as we ought, for that best gift of thy goodness, 
the gift of thy Son, our blessed Saviour. Glory 
be to God in the highest for him, who came to 
seek and to save that which was lost, to pro¬ 
claim peace and mercy to man, to bring back 
thine erring children to thee, their Father, and 
to introduce us to an inheritance of hopes incor¬ 
ruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. 
O thou, whose mercy is not wearied by our 
ingratitude, we pray that our hearts may be 


touched and softened by a sense of our own 
unworthiness. What are we, O our Father, 
that thy blessings, temporal and spiritual, 
should be thus lavished upon us? We confess 
that we have wandered from thee, and wilt thou 
restore us ; that we are polluted, and wilt thou 
purify us; that we are guilty, and wilt thou 
pardon us. Especially we pray, that thou 
wouldst forgive us for the errors, and follies, 
and sins, of which we may have been guilty 
during the past day; and enable us, for the 
future, to have better motives and better pur¬ 
poses, more purity and earnestness in good 
things, more love and devotion to thee. 

O thou, to whom the darkness and the light 
are both alike, and who art the Protector of all 
that put their trust in thee ; before we retire to 
repose this night, we would raise our hearts to 
thee, and seek thy blessing. We beseech thee to 
have each member of this family in thine ho¬ 
ly keeping, and shelter us under the wing of 
thy providence. May we rise in the morning 
with hearts prepared for the duties and instruc¬ 
tions of the sabbath ; may our minds be filled 
with tranquil, devout, and solemn thoughts and 
remembrances ; and may the things which belong 
to our everlasting peace, possess our souls. 

5 


50 


* 

We offer our prayer in the name of him, who 
hath loved us and given himself for us, through 
whom be rendered unto thee, the most high God, 
unceasing praises. Amen. 


SUNDAY MORNING. 

Our Father who art in heaven ! hallowed be 
thy name. As the children of thy family, and 
the objects of thy care, we would now come to 
dedicate to thee the lives thou hast spared 
through another night. Thine ever watchful 
providence hath been over us for our safety. 
We have laid ourselves down and slept, and have 
awaked; because thou hast sustained us. With 
grateful and humble joy would we hail the 
return of this day, consecrated to the special 
exercises of piety, the instructions of religion, 
and the outward worship of thee our God. We 
bless thee for the institution of a day of sacred 
rest; a day set apart from worldly cares and 
employments ; a day, which we are to keep holy 
by worshipping thee, who art a spirit, in spirit 
and in truth. In the name, and as the disciples 
of Jesus Christ, we would present our united 
tribute of prayer and praise to our Creator, 




51 


Preserver, and Benefactor. We would ac¬ 
knowledge thee, as the only living and true 
God ; the high and lofty One, who inhabitest 
eternity. Thou, O God, dwellest not in tem¬ 
ples made with hands ; the universe is thy 
temple. Thy mind pervades creation. We 
cannot retire from thy presence. Our thoughts 
and purposes are exposed to thy view, and thou 
knowest more of us than we know of ourselves. 

Thine eye is at this moment upon us. O God, 
most holy! we come to ask for mercy, because 
we have sinned ; and to implore the influences 
of thy spirit, because in thee is our hope. We 
rejoice that there is one above us, who is infin¬ 
itely wise, powerful, and good; tvho loveth us 
more than any other being loves us ; who careth 
for us more than any other being can care for 
us; who careth for us more than w r e care for 
ourselves. 

Heavenly Father, w r e desire to sanctify this 
day, as we ought, to thee : and as w r e now re¬ 
member with gratitude the salvation of the night 
past, may we this day meditate upon the salva¬ 
tion, w hich is offered us in the Gospel. May 
w T e, with lively faith, remember him who died 
that w'e might live; and so attend to the tilings 
that concern our everlasting peace, that this 
day may be as one of the days of heaven to our 


52 


souls. Gladly may we embrace the opportuni¬ 
ties, with which as a family, we are favoured, 
to go up together to the place, where thy name 
js adored, and where pardon and acceptance are 
proclaimed in Jesus Christ. Dispose us, we 
entreat thee, to engage in the solemn duties of 
thy house, with sincerity and fervour. May we 
have the spirit of Jesus ; so that our devotions 
shall be pure and exalted. May we receive with 
attention and candour, the instructions and ad¬ 
monitions of the Christian preacher. With 
submission of heart, may we bow to the author¬ 
ity of thy precepts; and w 7 ith gladness may we 
receive the declarations and promises of thy 
mercy. With ardent desires may we ask spir¬ 
itual blessings for ourselves 5 and with true 
charity intercede for others. 

O Lord, we are thy servants, bound to give thee 
that which cometh from thy hands. We would 
this morning consecrate ourselves to thee with 
the deepest solemnity; resigning to thee those 
hearts which thou hast formed for thyself; sur¬ 
rendering all we possess to thy gracious disposal; 
humbly praying that nothing may ever separate 
us from thy love. Thus beginning the life of 
heaven here, may we attain its full enjoyment 
hereafter. 


God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 
while with gratitude we remember our distin¬ 
guished privileges, we anxiously pray that they 
may be extended to all the children of thy great 
family ; so that all may know thee, and Jesus 
Christ whom thou hast sent. 

Be merciful, O Lord, to the whole human 
race. Known unto thee are all their wants, and 
thou art able to do exceeding abundantly above 
what we can ask or think. From thee, who 
art plenteous in goodness, may they severally 
receive those blessings which are expedient 
for them. May our relations and friends obtain 
that favour in thy sight, which thou bearest to 
them that love thee: and, in every thing that 
concerns them, may they be under the direction 
of that wisdom, which can alone determine what 
will be most conducive to their present and eter¬ 
nal welfare. 

* 


O Father, we again ask thy presence and 
blessing with us this day; and may we spend 
it, knowing it may be the last Sabbath we shall 
see on earth. Hear us, through him who is the 
way, the truth, and the life, while we ascribe to 
thee, God over all, praises everlasting. Amen. 

6 * 


54 


SUNDAY EVENING. 


O thou, who hearest prayer ! We acknowl¬ 
edge thee, the only proper object of religious 
worship. Thou art God in heaven above ; and 
upon the earth beneath there is none else. Thou 
art the first, and thou the last. Thou art God 
alone. We would think of thine attributes, with 
profound veneration and with cheerful trust. 
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, 
and the glory. In every place we are surround¬ 
ed, supported, inspected by thee. If we ascend 
into heaven, thou are there;—if we make our 
bed in the grave, lo! thou art there ;—if we 
take the wings of the morning and dwell in the 
uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand 
shall lead us, and thy right hand shall hold us. 
Thou knowest our downsitting and our uprising, 
and art acquainted with all our ways. 

Power also belongeth unto thee, O God. In 
thee is everlasting strength ; and none can stay 
thine hand, or say unto thee,—What doest thou ? 
Thy wisdom is equal to thy power. Thine 
understanding is infinite. Thou art light, and 
in thee is no darkness. O the depth of the 
wisdom and knowledge of God ! 

Holy art thou, O Lord, in all thy works. 
Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints! 


oo 


We would give thanks at the remembrance of 
thy holiness. Though clouds and darkness 
are round about thee, justice and judgment are 
the habitation of thy throne. 

Good art thou, O Lord, and thy tender mer¬ 
cies are over all thy works. Thou art love ; and 
as a father pitieth his children, so thou hast 
compassion on those who fear thee. We will 
give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, and 
his mercy endureth forever. Although the fig- 
tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in 
the vine; the labour of the olive shall fail, and 
the fields shall yield no meat; the flocks shall 
be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no 
herd in the stall ; yet will we rejoice in the 
Lord ; we will joy in the God of our salvation. 

O God, most high and holy ! vve come, sensible 
of the presence in which we stand ; and though 
it is weakness which addresses omnipotence ; 
and though it is ignorance which supplicates 
perfect wisdom ; and though it is the voice of 
imperfection, to a being of spotless purity; yet 
we come with childlike confidence, in that new 
and living way, which thou hast appointed to the 
sinful children of men ; believing thou wilt hear 
our prayers and pardon our transgressions. 

We beseech thee to accept our most grateful 
acknowdedgments for the unspeakable blessings 


56 


of the Gospel. Never can we sufficiently thank 
thee for that exalted Saviour, whom thou didst 
raise up to bless mankind, by turning them away 
from their iniquities. We bless thee, that for 
this end he was born, and for this cause came 
he into the world, that he might bear witness 
to the truth ; and we believe he is the Christ the 
Son of the living God. We thank thee for the 
disclosures he made of thy paternal character, 
and of our duties and destination. We bless 
thee for his doctrines and his example; and 
when he was delivered up for our offences, we 
would most devoutly thank God, that he was 
raised again for our justification, and became the 
first fruits of them that slept. Praised be God, 
who hath begotten us to a lively hope, by the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through him we 
look to thy mercy for the forgiveness of our sins; 
and for grace to help in future times of need. 
Through faith in the Redeemer, may we have 
that godly sorrow, which worketh repentance 
unto salvation : and by prayer and watchfulness 
may the renewing influences of Christianity 
become effectual in our souls ; so that forgetting 
the things that are behind, we may press forward 
to the mark for the prize of our high calling of 
God in Christ Jesus. In future may we suffer 
no iniquity to have the dominion over us ; but 


57 


may we be filled with the fruits of righteousness., 
which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and 
praise of God. 

Holy Father! with true gratitude for thy 
sustaining care, would we ever welcome the 
return of a day devoted to the sacred interests 
of religion. We thank thee for the many ad¬ 
vantages, and pleasures of public worship, which 
we have this day enjoyed. May this be among 
the sabbaths in which we have so meditated 
upon thy character, as to have elevated our 
piety and purified our hearts. O may we not 
abuse the means of grace, by resting in them, 
but carefully keep in view the end they are de¬ 
signed to promote. If we have presented our 
prayers to thee this day with a lively faith in thy 
Son, O may they produce in us a firmer trust in 
thy love, and perfect charity for all mankind. 
May we have the mind that was in Christ Jesus; 
and thus may religion prepare us for the chang¬ 
ing scenes of life, for the closing hour of death* 
and for the solemn day of judgment. 

* 

Grant thy presence and blessing, O God, to 
thy faithful ministers of all denominations. 
While they dispense the word of truth with 
sincerity, may they be successful in reforming 
the wicked, instructing the ignorant, and in 


58 


having Christianity acknowledged in all its worth, 
and felt in all its power. Help the good in 
every land to diffuse light and true religion. 
Bless all our churches; and hasten, we pray 
thee, the time when thy name shall be honoured 
and adored throughout the earth; when all 
nations shall acknowledge thee alone, their 
common Father, and Jesus Christ their common 
Saviour. In his name we offer our prayers; 
and at the close of this day, consecrated to the 
memory of his resurrection, we would humbly 
ask thy favour, protection, and blessing; while 
we ascribe to thee, the kingdom, the power, and 
the glory forever. Amen. 


MONDAY MORNING. 

O Gon, the Creator of the •world and of all 
things therein ! Our souls would bow with rev¬ 
erence before thee in prayer, feeling our imper¬ 
fections as w r e ought in the presence of our Maker. 
Because thou, O Lord, art good, and gracious, 
and powerful, we come to thee ; and we would 
have thee on every side to strengthen, animate, 
guide, and console. May we be in thee, and 
wilt thou be in us. We would see the displays 
of thyself in nature. The heavens declare thv 



59 


glory, and the firmament shovveth forth thy handy 
work ; day unto day uttereth speech, and night 
unto night showeth knowledge of thee. 

Thou art the God of our lives ; and we lift up 
our souls unto thee, with the voice of thanksgiv¬ 
ing, for thy merciful care of us the past night; 
and would now humbly implore the continuance 
of thy protection and blessing through the follow¬ 
ing day. With renewed vigour we would praise 
thee, who hast caused us to sleep in peace, and 
awake in safety. To thy service, O our heaven¬ 
ly Preserver and Benefactor, we devote our in¬ 
vigorated powers, both of body and mind. May 
we go forth to the various labours and employ¬ 
ments of our stations, under a deep sense of our 
obligations to thee ; and may we be in thy fear 
all the day long. O may a sense of thy presence, 
a regard to thine authority, and the hope of thy 
gracious acceptance, direct all our views, and 
govern all our actions. If we should, this day, 
be tempted by the prospect of unrighteous gain, 
or the allurements of sinful pleasure; grant us 
the understanding and resolution to turn from 
them ; and let integrity and uprightness preserve 
us. While our thoughts are amidst the concerns 
of earth, may we be careful to reserve our affec¬ 
tions for what is pure, and holy, and eternal. 
May we be sober, temperate, and industrious; 


60 


so that a review of life may afford us comfort, 
when nothing but our characters shall remain to 

us. 

As sojourners on earth, we would humbly en¬ 
treat of thee, O Father of mercies, those supplies 
of temporal good, which will most conduce to 
our future welfare. If it be thy heavenly will, 
defend us from the many dangers to which we 
are exposed. Prosper us in all our just under¬ 
takings ; and may we advance thy glory, by be¬ 
ing eminently serviceable to our fellow 7 men. 
Fit us, O Lord, for w'hat is before us in life; 
and whatever shall be our condition, may the 
purposes of thy providence be answered in us. 

As our day is, so may our strength be. Ena¬ 
ble us to meet the adversities of this probationary 
state, with prepared minds; with patience, for¬ 
titude, and resignation. May we take sober views 
of life and its duties ; estimate w r ell the great ob¬ 
jects of probation, and see ourselves as thou seest 
us. Knowing that our stay on earth must be 
short, may we often think of the world to which 
we are hastening. O ! may a firm trust in thee 
and a lively faith in Jesus Christ, carry us 
through every trial, and prepare us for thy pres¬ 
ence. 

Father of lights ! what we ask for ourselves, 
we ask for our brethren; beseeching thee, the 


61 


universal Parent, to do for them and for us, as 
thine unerring wisdom sees best. 

* 

In the spirit of faith and charity, we desire to 
present these our requests; humbly relying on 
that everlasting, unchangeable mercy, which thou 
didst manifest and declare by Jesus Christ ; in 
whose name we offer to thy sacred majesty 
glory and praise forever. Amen. 


MONDAY EVENING. 

Ever living and ever blessed Lord our God ! 
At the close of another day, in which we have 
experienced thy care and goodness, vve are as¬ 
sembled together to adore and praise thee, as our 
heavenly Father ; in whom we live, and move, 
and have our being. Thou art the Source of 
good, the Author of our mercies. Accept, we 
beseech thee, our unfeigned thanks for our being, 
our reason, and all other endowments of sou! 
and body ; for our health, friends, food, and rai¬ 
ment, and all the various comforts of life : above 
all, for that rich mercy which gave us a Saviour 
to redeem us from sin and death, and to lead us 
to a knowledge of thee and a sense of our duty. 

6 



We bless thee for thy patience with us, notwith¬ 
standing our many and great provocations ; for 
all the directions, assistances, and comforts of 
toy holy Spirit; for thy continual care and 
watchful providence over us, through the whole 
course of our lives; and particularly for the 
mercies and benefits of the past day : and we 
beseech thee to continue these thy blessings to 
us, and give us grace to show our thankfulness, 
in a sincere obedience. Reform whatever is 
amiss in the temper and dispositions of our souls ; 
that no impure thoughts, unlawful designs, or in¬ 
ordinate desires, may rest there. Free our hearts 
from envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitable« 
ness; that we may never suffer the sun to go 
down upon our wrath ; but may always go to 
our rest in peace, charity, and good will, with 
a conscience void of offence towards thee and 
towards men. Imprint upon our hearts such a 
dread of thy judgments, and such a grateful 
sense of thy goodness to us, as may make us 
both afraid and ashamed to offend thee. 

But, O God, we lament that we have not had 
that fear which keepeth from evil. We would 
corne in our unworthiness, acknowledging our 
manifold violations of duty. But remembering 
thou hast promised forgiveness to the truely peni¬ 
tent, we earnestly implore, through Jesus Christ, 


the exercise of that mercy thou keepest for 
thousands. May we possess that deep contrition, 
which shall make us effectually return to thee, 
from whom we have wandered. Help us to im¬ 
bibe the spirit, adopt the principles, and copy 
the example of our Saviour; keeping in our 
minds a lively remembrance of that great day, in 
which each one must give an account to God, of 
all his thoughts, words, and actions; and he re¬ 
warded according to the deeds done in the body. 

Father of lights and God of all grace ! we pray 
for the spread of the Gospel through all nations; 
and may as many as have received this heavenly 
gift, live as becomes it. Be gracious unto thy 
church ; and grant that each member may walk 
worthy his holy vocation. Bless all in authority 
over us; and so rule their hearts and strengthen 
their hands, that they may punish wickedness 
and vice, and maintain pure religion and social 
order. Send down blessings upon our relations, 
friends, and neighbours. Reward all who have 
done us good ; pardon all who have done us evil. 
Be merciful to all in trouble, and be to them 
more and better than we can ask or think. 

We again, O Father, give thee thanks, that 
in mercy another day is added to our lives. 


64 


We now, in the solemn act of prayer, dedicate 
ourselves to thee, in a sober, righteous, and god¬ 
ly life; in which resolution do thou, O Cod, 
confirm and strengthen us; that as we grow in 
age, we may grow in grace and in the knowledge 
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Through 
the dangers of this night, wilt thou he our shield. 
Grant to us that refreshing sleep which shall fit 
us for the duties of the coming day. We com¬ 
mit ourselves to thy care, having a firm trust in 
thy providence; ascribing to thee all might, maj¬ 
esty, and dominiofi forever. Amen. 


TUESDAY MORNING. 

Our Father who art in heaven , the Source of 
life, the Parent of all intelligent beings, by 
whose inspiration we have received understand¬ 
ing ! We beseech thee to look in mercy from 
heaven, the habitation of thy holiness, upon us, 
thy dependent children. Fill us with the spirit of 
prayer and supplication, that we may serve thee 
with reverence and godly fear. Grant that we 
may receive the adoption of sons, and fashion 
ourselves according to the example of him, who 
hath called us with a holy calling. May we be 
conformed to the image of the Son of God, who 



65 


laboured and suffered and died for our redemp¬ 
tion. 

Inspire us with a dge veneration of thy sacred 
majesty; and in thought, word, and action, may 
we hallow thy name. O that thy name might 
be hallowed among the heathens ; may all the 
Gentiles glorify thee for thy mercy, and rejoice 
together with thy chosen people. 

Almighty King of kings, may thy kingdom 
come. May we demean ourselves as obedient 
subjects of thy moral government, by a cheerful 
and universal compliance with thy laws. May 
thy word have free course and be glorified, till 
every thought shall be brought into obedience 
to thee, and the kingdoms of this world become 
the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ, and 
all people, nations, and languages, serve him, to 
whom thou hast given dominion and glory. 

Heavenly Father, behold we are here thy 
creatures and subjects. In every occurrence of 
life, we would say, It is the Lord, let him do 
what seemeth him good. May thy will he done 
concerning us and by us. May the submission 
of thy creatures on earth be as sincere and con¬ 
stant as it is in heaven. 

Knowing that the blessings of this world, as 
well as of that which is to come, are at thy 
disposal, we offer up our requests unto thee for 


66 


such supplies of the good things of this life, and 
such a disposition to enjoy them, as thou, in thy 
wisdom, knowest to be best for us. Give us 
this day our daily bread . Bless our substance, 
and prosper the labour of our hands. Give us 
neither poverty nor riches to our hurt. Feed us 
with food convenient for us. Having food and 
raiment, as thy goodness orders, may we there¬ 
with be content. 

Above all, we beseech thee to pardon the 
great and numerous sins and follies of our past 
lives. Forgive us our d'bts as we forgive our 
debtors . From thy forbearance shown to us, 
may we learn to govern every emotion of anger, 
and to abstain from every degree and kind of 
revenge. We Would forgive one another, even 
as thou, through Jesus Christ, hast forgiven us. 

Lead us not into temptation. In all our con¬ 
flicts with the enemies of our purity and salva¬ 
tion, may we have the assistances needful to 
prevent our falling into sin. We beseech thee 
to fortify our minds, to carry us safely through 
every trial, and guide us in the paths of inno¬ 
cence and integrity. May thy grace be suffi¬ 
cient for us, and thy w ord abide in us, that we 
may come off conquerers through him w ho hath 
loved us. 


67 


Deliver us from evil; save us from our sins ; 
and redeem us from all iniquity. O God of our 
salvation, defend ns from all our spiritual ene¬ 
mies. Remove from us the way of lying; in¬ 
cline our hearts to thy testimonies. Cleanse us 
from secret faults, and keep us back from pre¬ 
sumptuous sins. 

O thou, who art great and greatly to be prais¬ 
ed ; good and greatly to he loved; we address 
these petitions to thee, believing thou art able 
to do exceeding abundantly for us, even above 
what we can ask or think ; for thine is the king¬ 
dom , the power , and the glory , for ever and ever . 
Amen. 


TUESDAY EVENING. 

God of the morning and of the evening, who 
makest the outgoings of the one and the other 
to rejoice ! It is good to give thanks unto thee, 
O Most High ; to show forth thy loving-kindness 
in the morning and thy faithfulness every night. 
Let our prayer be set forth before thee as in¬ 
cense, and the lifting up of our hands as the 
evening sacrifice. We adore thee as the high¬ 
est, holiest, and best of Beings,—the true and 
living God,—God in heaven above and in the 



68 


earth beneath. Thou art the first and thou the 
last, and beside thee there is no God. Thou art 
ever with us, upholding, sanctifying, and blessing 
us. The structure of our minds and bodies is 
curiously wrought by thee. Thyself invisible, all 
things are done by thee,—yet, who by search¬ 
ing can find out God? With laborious efforts 
we strive to imagine thy being. Our thoughts 
range through the wonders of creation in at¬ 
tempting to conceive of thy greatness. r ihou 
hast given to the stars their light, to the deep its 
waters, to the earth its plants, to nature its rich¬ 
ness, and to thy creature man, health, reason, 
and virtue. We ascend to the heavens above, 
and fathom the depths below; but we cannot 
find out the Almighty unto perfection. 

Great Source of life, light, and happiness ! to 
such a Being we would have the morning and 
evening witness our devout consecration. As a 
worshipping family we have now entered our 
closet, and we would regard this as the place of 
our prayer and the altar of our oblations. Here 
let thy mercy receive us, thy Gospel invite us, 
thine inspirations move us, and thy discipline re¬ 
form us ;—here let us bewail our guilt, pour out 
our souls, receive thy blessing, participate in thy 
love, and look forward to thy rest. May every 
avenue through which worldly cares and pleasures 


69 


enter the mind he now closed, and our offering 
be the sacrifice of contrite hearts. 

We thank thee for our spiritual privileges. 
With admiration and grateful jov we reflect, that 
from the counsels of thy mercy for mankind, we 
are, in Jesus Christ, enlightened by the wisdom he 
taught, made partakers of the righteousness and 
forgiveness of which he is the minister, sanctifi¬ 
ed by his truth, and become heirs of eternal re¬ 
demption. Penetrate our minds with such a 
lively sense of thy distinguishing goodness, as 
shall engage all within us to love and reverence 
thy holy name.—May the Saviour be precious to 
each one of our souls. From his lips may we 
learn thy holy will; and from his life learn how 
to conform to it. And while we view him as 
the lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of 
the world ; whose mission, doctrines, example, 
and death have brought in everlasting redemption 
for sinners, we fervently implore that he may be 
revealed in us, that Christ Jesus may be formed 
in us, that we may partake of his spirit, and be 
created in his likeness. If we have this day 
wandered from thy paths, and followed the devi¬ 
ces and desires of our own hearts, offending a- 
gainst thy holy law r s ; through him wilt thou look 
upon us in mercy, and record not against us our 
follies and presumption, but lead us to that re¬ 
pentance which is unto life. 





70 

Eternal Father! we pray not for ourselves 
alone. Let our brethren of thy family severally 
receive of thee those supports without which 
they cannot exist, and that blessing without which 
they cannot be happy. As no man livetli to 
himself, may it be our aim to communicate, and, 
by communicating, to enjoy happiness ; and thus 
influenced by the spirit of humanity, let us never 
cause an unnecessary pang to any human being. 
Fashion us, thou pure and perfect Spirit, to such 
a resemblance of thyself, that all our views, pur¬ 
poses, and actions may centre in what thou re- 
quirest. 


* 

Holy Watchman of thy chosen people, who 
dost never slumber nor sleep ! while we revievv 
the day past, thankful for thy sustaining care and 
unfailing bounty,—thankful for the blessings 
and enjoyments it hath afforded,—thankful if 
we have been equal to its trials and faithful in 
its duties, we would now resign ourselves to thy 
guardian care for the coming night, remembering 
that time, which is hastening upon us, when we 
shall make our bed in the grave. Pardon what 
thy pure eyes have seen amiss in us, and accept us 
through him who is passed into heaven for us,™ 


- \ 

71 

and in his name, which is above every name, 
shall be ascribed to thee all honour and glory 
forever. Amen. 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 

Infinitely great and glorious Lord our God ; 
whose name alone is Jehovah ! Thou coverest 
thyself with light as with a garment, and art 
the original Source of life, order, and happiness! 
Though thou art far above our most exalted con¬ 
ceptions, and incapable of receiving any accession 
to thy felicity by the service of men or angels; 
yet, blessed be thy name, thou hast revealed thy¬ 
self to us, as a God hearing prayer, and hast en¬ 
couraged us, by our morning and evening devo¬ 
tions, to maintain a sacred intercourse with thee, 
our Maker. And since thou hast given us, in 
Jesus Christ, a boldness of access to the throne 
of grace, and made prayer a condition of accept¬ 
ance, and promised, if we ask aright, to fit us for 
the blessings thou wilt bestow ; we desire, at this 
time, with true piety and Christian faith, to uiyte 
in this our duty and privilege. 

Holy Father, we come to ask strength from 
thee, who alone canst impart it; and protection 
from thee* who alone canst save; and assistance 



72 


from thee, who alone canst help ; and mercy 
from thee, who alone canst forgive. 

We have sinned, Father, against Heaven and 
in thy sight, and have lightly esteemed the rock 
of our salvation. We have permitted the trifles 
of the world to interrupt our religious duties ; 
and engross our time and affections. O God ! 
we justly deserve thy frowns. But know ing we 
cannot endure thine indignation, we fly to that 
rich mercy tendered in Jesus our Mediator; and 
as thy perfections are the ground of our hope 
and render thee the only proper object of our 
prayers; we would now devoutly pray thee to 
exercise towards us that mercy, which is the 
crowning attribute of thy nature. 

Not weighing our unworthiness, pardon our 
iniquity, and justify us freely by thy grace 
through the redemption there is in Christ Jesus. 
O may we hereafter set the Lord always before 
us; and live as passengers going through a 
world of danger* to meet their Judge. O God, 
for aid and guidance we would fly to thee ; 
whose name is the refuge of thy people ; and 
may we feel ourselves supported, beyond the 
mere power of nature, by a higher power than 
nature knows. 

If trouble, and sorrow, and disappointment 
are to be our portion ; and we are to be travel- 


73 


lers through the wilderness of human life, O 
God! wilt thou be with us. From (he flinty 
rock, wilt thou give us water; in the dew of 
evening wilt thou give us bread, and may thy 
cloud of mercy overshadow 11s by day, and thy 
pillar of tire lead us by night, till thou shalt 
conduct us safely to our promised heaven. O 
may we be made wiser and better by all we 
suffer, as well as by all we enjoy. With Chris¬ 
tian devotedness, may we take up our cross and 
follow our Master; and when our spirits would 
faint, may we look to Jesus, who went up to his 
Father’s throne, by the steps of suffering. Thoii 
hast placed us here, O God, to learn the great 
lesson of preparation for life eternal. Suffer us 
not to waste the hours of probation; but make 
us faithful to thee, ourselves, and each other, 
and fit us for what we are capable of enjoying. 

In thee, who hast preserved and helped us 
hitherto, we put our trust for the whole of our 
future life. Into thy hands we commit ourselves, 
our friends, and brethren of mankind. To thee, 
in an especial manner, we commit the cause of 
Christianity, which is the cause of human happi¬ 
ness. 

Graciously accept our thanks, thou Giver of 
all good, for having preserved us another night, 
and bestowed on us another day. O grant, that 
7 


we may meditate on thy law this day with joy¬ 
ful veneration, and keep it, in all our actions, 
with firm obedience. Hear us through him 
who is our Intercessor at thy right hand ; while 
we ascribe to thee, the Author of our condition, 
all glory, dominion, and praise forever. Amen» 


WEDNESDAY EVENING. 

Ever blessed and glorious Lord our God ! the 
Father of all the families on earth! We come 
now to worship thee as thy rational offspring. 
We would begin and end every thing with thee. 
Having finished the business and enjoyed the 
blessings of the day, withdrawn from the con¬ 
verse of the world, we unite, as a family, to 
acknowledge thy fatherly goodness towards us, 
exercised with a constancy and kindness, as if 
we were the only objects of thy paternal care 
and bounty. What shall we render unto the 
Lord for all his benefits ? We adore and thank 
that friendly Providence, which has sustained us 
to this hour; and we sincerely rejoice, that 
we are disposed to appear before thee this even¬ 
ing, as a worshipping family. Above all, ever¬ 
lasting thanks be to the God and Father of our 
Lord Jesus Christ* of whom the whole family in 



heaven and earth is named, that we, belonging 
to the household of faith, are called to the in¬ 
heritance of the children of God. 

For thy rich mercy’s sake in Jesus Christ, 
forgive the sins with which we are chargeable ; 
forgive us wherein we have trespassed against 
each other in the course of the day that is now 
closed ; and let not our past transgressions pro¬ 
voke thee to visit our dwelling with thy dis¬ 
pleasure. 

To thee, our Protector in heaven, who crown- 
est our days with favour and mercy, we desire 
sincerely to renew the surrender of ourselves. 
May the love and fear of thee dwell in our 
hearts and rule in our house. As we mutually 
share thy bounties, may we mutually love each 
other. 

And now, O God, our prayer to thee is, that 
we may hereafter be followers of thee, as dear 
children. May our tempers, as the children of 
the God of love, be more mild, compassionate, 
and benevolent. May we be as Jesus was, holy, 
harmless, and undefiled. Let our passions, 
subdued by a reverence of thy authority and 
presence, be more composed and better govern¬ 
ed. May our graces and virtues be strength¬ 
ened and improved ; our love to thee our Father 
increased ; our love to Jesus made effectual, and 


76 


our love to each other abound more and more, 
in all that is amiable, and pure, and affectionate* 
O may our lives be filled with the fruits of 
righteousness, to the honour of our relation to 
thee our Parent, as thy sons, and the heirs of 
eternal life. With these holy and devout senti¬ 
ments and wishes, we would compose ourselves 
to sleep; and during the hours when no eye 
watches for our safety, when we are insensible 
of danger, and unable effectually to provide for 
our defence, O almighty and gracious Preserver, 
keep each of us from evil; and restore us in the 
morning, with renewed vigor of body and mind, 
to the duties and pursuits of a useful and virtuous 
life. 

We commend to thee our friends and relatives, 
our native land, and the whole family of man ; 
beseeching thee, to do abundantly for their good, 
above what we can ask or think ; and when we 
shall have answered here the great purposes 
of thy goodness in our creation, we urgently 
pray thee to accept us to the rewards of faithful 
children in thy kingdom above, through thine 
infinite mercy declared unto us in Jesus Christ, 
through whom we would ever ascribe to thee all 
honour and glory. Amen. 



77 


THURSDAY MORNING. 

Almighty and most merciful Father! Thou 
seest our inmost purposes, and searchest our 
hearts. Enable us, at this time, to withdraw 
our thoughts from the concerns of the world, 
and hold entire communion with thee, the Fath¬ 
er of our spirits. Thy name is excellent in all 
the earth, and we would worship thee in the 
beauty of holiness. We come with our interces¬ 
sions and prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, 
our Advocate and Redeemer ; and, in his name, 
we would most devoutly pray thee to remember 
not our offences. For the glory of thy name, 
turn from us all those evils we have most justly 
deserved. Spare us, good Lord, spare thy peo¬ 
ple who are penitent; and according to the mul¬ 
titude of thy mercies, have compassion on the 
work of thy hands. Deliver us, we entreat thee, 
from all evil; from the dangerous assaults of 
temptations; from lusts which war against the 
so*ul; from all the deceitful allurements of this 
world; from thy just displeasure, and from future 
condemnation. O deliver us, we beseech thee, 
from all blindness of mind, hardness of heart, and 
contempt of thy word and commandment; from 
pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy ; from envy and 
7 * 


78 


hatred ; from malice and cruelty, and all unchar¬ 
itableness. In the time of our prosperity, in the 
time of our adversity, in the hour of death, and 
in the day ofjudgment, gracious God, deliver us. 

Give us now, we beseech thee, to grow in 
grace ; to hear thy law with meekness; to re¬ 
ceive it with pure affection, and to bring forth the 
fruits of the spirit. Preserve us, if it be thy will, 
from dangers; from hurtful lightnings and tem¬ 
pests ; from plague, pestilence, and famine ; from 
war and wasting calamities. Give and preserve 
to our use the kindly fruits of the earth, so that in 
due time we may enjoy them. And now, O 
Father, our hearts’ desire and prayer to thee is, 
that it may please thee to have mercy upon all 
men, and to bring into the way of truth all such 
as have erred and are deceived. Guide and 
bless all thy sincere worshippers in the right uaj, 
that, embracing and holding fast the doctrine of 
eternal life, they may know thee, the only true 
God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 
May it please thee to rule and govern the Chris¬ 
tian church, according to the simplicity of the 
Gospel; and to lead all professing Christians to 
the right knowledge and practice of their holy re¬ 
ligion. Restrain, O God, every kind and degree 
of persecution, spiritual tyranny, and oppress¬ 
ion: and may all show themselves disciples of 


79 


Christ, by loving one another. May unity 
peace, and concord, reign through the world, and 
mankind enjoy the rich blessings of order and 
good government. 

Bless our rulers, and enable them to execute 
justice and maintain peace. Illuminate all min¬ 
isters of the Gospel with clear knowledge and 
understanding of the truth as it is in Jesus ; and 
may all seminaries of learning extend useful arts 
and virtuous principles. O God, with Christian 
sympathy we pray thee to succour, help, and 
comfort all who are in danger, necessity, or trib¬ 
ulation. Defend all who travel by land or by 
water. Provide for the fatherless and the widow. 
Support the aged, and show pity upon all pris¬ 
oners and captives. Strengthen such as do 
stand ; raise up those who fall; and comfort the 
feeble-minded. 

Heavenly Parent, we ask a blessing on our 
friends; reward our benefactors; forgive our 
enemies; and let it please thee to have compas¬ 
sion upon all men. 

We would not forget, O God, that tender care 
which has .watched over us another night. While 
we are grateful in having thee for our support, we 
would cheerfully resign all to thy guidance and 
disposal this day. Let thy blessing be with our 
several employments, and never let us undertake 


80 

what we cannot ask thee to prosper. Be with 
us on the right hand and on the left; and to thee, 
most Holy, shall be praise forever, through Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 


THURSDAY EVENING. 

Eternal God, the Creator, Preserver, and 
Governor of the Universe, whom all the hosts of 
heaven venerate and adore! We desire to bow 
before thee this evening, with composed minds, 
devout affections, and fervent piety. In length¬ 
ening out our days, it is thy gracious design, to 
spare us for repentance and future improvement. 
In thine hand, O Lord, our breath is; and be¬ 
cause thou hast not withdrawn thy parental sup¬ 
port, we are still upheld in life. If we have this 
day overcome temptation to evil, if we have in 
any respect obeyed thy holy will, and done good 
in the world ; unto thee be the praise. But we 
take shame to ourselves, that we have hitherto 
profited so little by thy continuance of us in life. 
Flow many hours, as they have passed, have ac¬ 
cused us of negligence ! Holy God, we are 
weak and erring; but as thou rememberest we 
are dust, we would penitently supplicate that 
mercy, which thou hast promised through thy 



31 


beloved Son. In him, we beseech thee, be gra¬ 
cious toward our past failings, and awaken us to 
future diligence, so that we may make our call¬ 
ing and election sure. Let our faith in the 
Saviour be something more than a cold assent of 
the understanding. Let it, we anxiously pray 
thee, penetrate our inmost souls, and warm and 
invigorate our best affections. Let it elevate us 
above the world, and make us live for the fu¬ 
ture. Let it make the aged sedate and exempla¬ 
ry ; the middle-aged industrious and pure; may 
it protect the young in their innocence; and 
make all, of every age, pious and humble. 

Suffer, O God, no inordinate desires ever to 
prevail upon us, to break through the sacred 
boundaries of wisdom, virtue, and true religion. 
May we be like Jesus, our great Exemplar. 

With regard to our temporal condition and the 
continuance of life itself, we would readily refer 
these, O Father, entirely to thy wise disposal. 
We earnestly pray, that thou wilt give us wis¬ 
dom to conduct ourselves well and wisely, under 
whatever events thou shalt appoint to us. May 
all conduce to our security and improvement in 
the holy and divine life. Lead us, in whatever 
way thou pleasest, to the perfection and happi¬ 
ness of our natures. By Christian dispositions, by 
an upright conduct, and by a steady perseverance 


<52 


in duty to the end, may we be prepared to meet 
death with serenity of mind, to stand before thy 
bar with Christian hope, and to become blessed 
in the inheritance of eternal life. 

Preserve, we beseech thee, among Christians, 
the sacred bond of unity. Among less important 
differences, may all discern the supreme value of 
piety, charity, and holiness; and may we show 
our love to Christ, by practising his commands. 

O thou common Parent of all! continue thy 
care over the nations that unhappily know not 
thee. Raise up chosen instruments to carry 
amongst them the right knowledge of thee, the 
only true God, and of Jesus Christ whom thou 
hast sent as the messenger of thy truth to men. 

God of grace and consolation ! be thou the 
kind deliverer of all under affliction, whether of 
mind, body, or estate. Pity those who labour 
under the pressure of poverty. Dispose to 
kindness those who are able to afford them relief. 
Succour the tempted. Defend the oppressed. 
Support the persecuted for righteousness 5 sake. 
Comfort the sorrowful. Speak peace to the 
troubled mind. Spare desirable and useful lives. 
Prepare such as are near death for an exchange 
of worlds. Be thou the tender Guardian of the 
destitute ; the Father of the fatherless ; and the 
widow’s God. Reward thou our benefactors ; 
and if we have enemies, Father, forgive them, 


83 


* 

We thank thee, O God, for thy goodness and 
care to us, through the day that is now closing. 
Praised and adored be thy great name for all we 
enjoy or yet hope for. May we lie down this 
night in peace with God, with our own con¬ 
sciences, and with all mankind. May our sleep 
be refreshing and tranquiland through thine 
all-protecting providence, may the morning light 
find us in health for the duties of the day. 
Hear us, Holy Father, as thy children, through 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 


FRIDAY MORNING. 

Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty ! Heav¬ 
en and earth are full of the majesty of thy 
glory. The glorious company of the Apostles 
praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the 
Prophets praise thee. The noble army of Mar¬ 
tyrs praise thee. The holy church throughout 
all the world doth acknowledge thee, the Father 
of infinite majesty. We thy servants, though 
a small part of thy great family, would come in 
humble trust and with pure hearts, to join our 
praises and prayers with those of tin 1 spirits in 
thy presence, ascribing glory and honour, do- 



minion and power, to him who sitteth upon the 
throne, forever and ever. We would acknowl¬ 
edge thee, the great and good Source of exist¬ 
ence. Wherever we turn, we behold convincing 
proofs of thy being, agency, and care. We will 
extol thee, O Lord our King ; we will bless thy 
name forever and ever. Thou did^t breathe into 
us the breath of life, and thine inspiration hath 
given us understanding. In thee we live, and 
move, and have our being. O God, our heaven¬ 
ly Father, who hast safely brought us to the 
beginning of this day, defend us in the same by 
thy mighty power, and grant that this day we 
fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of 
danger; but that all our doings, being ordered 
by thy governance, may be righteous in thy 
sight. May we live as seeing thee who art 
invisible; and wilt thou, who art the author of 
peace, and lover of concord, in knowledge of 
whom standeth our eternal life, and whose ser¬ 
vice is perfect freedom, defend us, thy humble 
servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that 
we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear 
the power of any adversaries. May w e have 
the piety and fortitude which were in Jesus 
Christ. 

Hear our intercessions, O Lord, for the land 
in which we live: and wilt thou, who art the 


85 


high and mighty Ruler of the universe, who dost 
from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon 
earth, behold and bless with thine abundant 
favour all those who rule over us in our national 
and state governments. Replenish them with 
the grace of thy holy spirit, so that they may 
always incline to thy will and walk in thy way ; 
endue them plenteously with heavenly gifts, so 
as to enable them most effectually to advance 
learning, peace, and holiness. 

O God, the Creator and Preserver of all man¬ 
kind, w r e unitedly beseech thee for all sorts and 
conditions of men, that thou wonldst be pleased 
to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving 
health unto all nations. More especially we 
pray for thy holy church universal, that it may 
be so guided and governed by thee, that all who 
profess and call themselves Christians, may be 
led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in 
unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righ¬ 
teousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy 
fatherly goodness all those who are any w 7 ays 
afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate, 
that it may please thee to comfort and relieve 
them according to their several necessities; 
giving them patience under their sufferings, and 
a happy issue out of all their afflictions. 

But w 7 hile we acknowledge thee, O Father? 

8 




56 


as the supreme Disposer of our condition, we 
would not overlook the mercies which surround 
us. We, thine unworthy servants, w r ould give thee 
most humble and hearty thanks for thy goodness 
and lovingkindness to us and to all men. We 
bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all 
the comforts of this life ; but, above all, for thine 
inestimable love in the redemption of the world 
through our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means 
of grace; and for the hope of glory. And, we 
beseech thee, give us such a due sense of all thy 
mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly 
thankful, and that we may show forth thy praise, 
not only with our lips, but in our lives, by 
giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walk¬ 
ing before thee, in holiness and righteousness, all 
our remaining days. 

* 

Merciful God, wilt thou go w r ith us through 
this day. Aid us in all our duties, shield us 
from every harm, and bring us at last to thyself; 
which w 7 e ask, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 
Amen. 


87 


FRIDAY EVENING. 

O Thou, on whom all eyes wait, all creatures 
depend! Our God and Father! We come 
now in the solemnities of prayer, to spread out 
our wants before thee, who alone canst relieve 
them ; and to dedicate to thee the lives thou art 
sparing. Aware of the sacred presence in which 
we stand, may our devotions be the ascent of our 
souls to thee. 

O thou, whose ear is this moment open to out¬ 
cry ! we desire to bow before thee with profound 
veneration and holy fear, remembering the dis¬ 
tance there is between thee and us. Infinite, 
eternal God ! we come to submit our ways to 
thy guidance, our interests to thy disposal. On 
thee we depend for our continuance in life, both 
in this world and the next. To thee we would 
piously look for safety amidst unforeseen expo¬ 
sures ; for the means of subsistence; for our 
daily bread ; for our necessary raiment; for the 
vigor of health; for fruitful seasons; and for 
all the supports and comforts of life. 

On thee must we depend for our social bless¬ 
ings; for our religious privileges; for the bene¬ 
fit of divine instruction ; and for all our oppor¬ 
tunities of improving in virtue and piety. To 


03 


thee would we render thanks, that a Saviour 
was sent to bless us, by throwing light upon the 
path of duty ; by setting before us a spotless 
example; by imparting the renewing influences 
of Christianity ; and by yielding himself up to 
death, that he might become the author of 
eternal salvation to all who obey him. 

O God ! who can declare thy mighty acts ? 
who can show forth all thy praise ? If we speak 
of thy mercies, they are more than can be num¬ 
bered. We will give thee thanks so long as we 
live; every day will we bless thee, and we will 
praise thy name forever. 

But whilst we acknowledge thy kindness 
with gratitude, it becometh us to confess with 
heartfelt penitence, that we have sinned against 
thee. We have disregarded thine all-searching 
eye, and have offended against thy continual 
goodness. Merciful Father, we sincerely lament 
our past unfaithfulness and disobedience; and 
earnestly entreat that thou wouldst not be strict 
to mark iniquity against us. According to thy 
rich grace in Jesus Christ, grant us mercy and 
pardon, so that we may return to thee, humble 
and penitent: and do thou, O God, never suffer 
us again to wander. 

O enable us in whatever state we are, there¬ 
with to be content. In prosperity make us 


89 


humble and thankful; and willing to show kind¬ 
ness to our brethren. In adversity and affliction, 
may we not despise thy chastening, nor faint 
when we are rebuked of thee. O may we cast 
our cares upon thee, who carest for us, knowing 
that whatever thou doest, thou doest for our 
future welfare. 

We would now commit ourselves into thine 
hands and may all our devotions produce in us 
the fruits of good living, to the honour of thy 
name; so that continually advancing in our 
likeness to thee, the great object of our worship, 
we may, at length, be trained up to dwell with 
thee, under a more perfect discipline, and in 
higher services, in thy heavenly kingdom. 

But, O God of goodness! while we supplicate 
for ourselves, we would not forget to ask thy 
choicest favour upon our friends. May those 
who are united to us by the ties of nature or 
affection, be united to thee in the ties of piety 
and holiness. Preserve thou their lives, and 
make them instrumental of good in their day 
and generation. 

Bless thou the hoary head; and may the 
aged, as they see the time at hand when they 
must meet thee and give an account of their 
stewardship, have the testimony of conscience, 
that in simplicity and in godly sincerity, not by 
8 * 


fleshly wisaom, but by the grace of God, they 
have had their conversation in the world. May 
those in the vigor of life remember that all their 
powers are from thee, and that they are there¬ 
fore to dedicate to thee what thou hast given 
them. And may the young remember, that now 
is the time to lay the foundation for useful and 
happy lives; and wilt thou, O Father, guide 
their inexperienced feet. 


* 

Hear us, in heaven, thy holy habitation, and 
when thou hearest, return an answer of peace ; 
all which we ask, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 


SATURDAY MORNING. 

Infinite and eternal God! We adore thee 
as possessed of every attribute which can claim 
the affection and reverence of rational beings. 
Thy power acfcs by thy wisdom. Thy goodness 
has affixed a healing and restoring efficacy to 
moral punishment. Thy justice is not severity. 
Thy mercy is always in exercise, and endureth 
forever. Thy benevolence, wishing to exert 
itself, gave existence to the universe ; and thou 
hast no object before the happiness of thy crea- 



91 


lures. All thou doest now, or ever wilt do, will 
be according to that infinite mercy which loves 
to forgive, and that unceasing goodness which 
loves to bless. Glory be to thy name for tiie 
assurance, that thou art our Father, and that 
our Father is Love. 

Thanks be to thy name, for the various 
interviews the world has had with thee its 
Maker. We rejoice in thy rich promises to 
Abraham, that in him, all the families of the 
earth should be blessed. We thank thee for the 
long succession of prophets, through whom thou 
didst pour increasing light upon a benighted 
world. But glory be to God in the highest, that 
in the fulness of time thou didst send forth thy 
Son, who, in the counsels of thy wisdom, was 
he, who was to come, the Messiah, the last 
Prophet, through whom thou wast to have 
direct intercourse with man. Never, O Father, 
can we sufficiently praise, and bless, and magni¬ 
fy thy holy name, for the gift of a Saviour, a 
Redeemer, an Intercessor, and an Advocate. 
Our souls w ould kindle into the highest praise, 
when we read that his advent was announced 
by angels, and that his character at his baptism 
was attested by thy voice from heaven, declar¬ 
ing, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
pleased ! Glory be to thy name, that thou didst 


92 


give thy spirit to him without measure; and 
didst fill him with thy wisdom ; and clothe him 
with thy power ; and so communicate to him 
thy will, that he appeared on earth, the perfect, 
visible representative of thee, who art invisible. 
Blessed be God! that, by astonishing and be¬ 
nevolent miracles, he confirmed his title to the 
messiahship ; that he disclosed thy w ? hole char¬ 
acter in all its benignity ; that he unfolded the 
moral nature of man, and marked out the duties 
which spring from it; that he announced the 
terms of pardon and acceptance with thee ; and 
established, by his resurrection, the doctrine of 
eternal life. 

O God, let us ever devoutly thank thee for 
the high and sacred character he sustained ; and 
may we always view him in the divinity of his 
mission, the divinity of his office, the divinity of 
his doctrines. Give us to see the connexion 
that his laws, his example, his sufferings and 
death, have with our salvation. Grant that the 
animating motives and the awful sanctions of 
Christianity, may take such deep hold of our 
minds, that we shall break off our sins by repent¬ 
ance, and our iniquities by turning unto thee ; 
and shall hereafter live the lives w 7 e live in the 
flesh, by faith in the Son of God. O may we 
grow 7 in grace$ press on toward perfection; 


93 


abound in the work of the Lord; have our 
conversation in heaven* and our hearts there ; 
live piously and godly in the world, looking for 
that blessed hope, the appearance of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ, who shall recompense 
to every man according to his deeds and charac¬ 
ter, whether they he good or evil. 

* 

In his name, who died that we might live, we 
bring these requests to the throne of grace, and 
in his own prayer would further call upon thee. 

Our Father who art in heaven ! Hallowed be 
thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be 
done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this 
day our daily bread; and forgive us our tres¬ 
passes, as we forgive those, who trespass against 
us. And lead us not into trial, but deliver us 
from evil; for thine is the kingdom, the power, 
and the glory forever. Amen. 


SATURDAY EVENING. 

O thou, who remainest the same through the 
succesion of days and weeks, of months and 
years! Through all the revolutions of time, 
thou, O God, art the same unwearied goodness. 



94 


All things proceed from thee, and thy presence is 
the life of the world. In thine hand is our breath, 
and it is of thy mercy that we are not consumed. 

Parent of good! at the close of another day 
and another week, we would come to return our 
humble thanks for the mercies which have crown¬ 
ed this period; and to implore their continuance. 
Whilst many have been cut off, and have passed 
into eternity, we are yet left, the spared monu¬ 
ments of thy sparing favour. Whilst many have 
fallen on our right hand and on our left, we have 
escaped, to witness that thou art good to the evil 
and unthankful. 

Unfailing Source of life and mercy ! Thou in 
wisdom didst place us on this stage of action. 
Thou didst uphold us in the helpless days of 
infancy ; and thou didst preserve us amidst our 
exposures. Thine unseen hand led us safely 
through childhood, and the slippery paths of 
youth. We tasted of thy bounty before we were 
capable of acknowledging the source from 
whence it came. With each returning day, and 
week, and year, thy blessings have been multi¬ 
plied upon us 5 and when we review the many 
instances of thy paternal goodness, we are 
constrained to say, Hitherto hath the Lord helped 
us. Yea, through riches of divine love and 
forbearance, thou art continuing us in a state of 



95 


trial, giving us space for repentance, and favour* 
ing us with the means of grace and reformation. 

To thy providence we owe the establishment 
of civil society ; the institution of wise and salu¬ 
tary laws ; the progress of useful knowledge ; the 
advantages of commercial intercourse ; and all 
the improvements and blessings of social life. 
From thee, we derive all our opportunites of be¬ 
coming acquainted with ourselves, and w 7 ith thee, 
our Maker ; and of acquiring the habits, and en¬ 
joying the pleasures of virtue and piety. To 
thee we are indebted for the instructions and 
examples of the wise and good ; for the benefits 
of a virtuous education ; for the opportunity of 
social worship; for every advantage which we 
derive from the sacred institutions of religion ; 
for the excellent rules of virtue which Christianity 
prescribes, and for the powerful motives it sug¬ 
gests, to persuade us to a steadfast perseverance 
in welldoing. It is through thine unchangeable 
and everlasting mercy, that we are made capable 
of extending our views and desires beyond this 
present life, and that we are inspired with the 
joyful and animating hope of immortality. 

All happiness proceeds from thee: unto thee 
all praise and gratitude are due ! 

Almighty God ! in view of all thy goodness, 
we now, with deeply impressed minds, ask thine 


assistance to enable us hereafter to live, as be¬ 
comes those, who are so highly blessed. Rely¬ 
ing on God, we would in the presence of each 
other, and before thee, form the most serious 
and deliberate purpose, to correct whatever hath 
been wrong in our past temper and conduct ; 
and to live in future as the true and faithful disci¬ 
ples of Jesus Christ. Trusting that thou, who 
art our Guardian and Friend, wilt give us all 
needful aid, we commit ourselves into thine 
hands. May we be wholly and forever thine; 
and do thou, O God, accept us. 

* 

Lord of life ; keep us in safety, through the 
night that is coming. May the refreshment of 
sleep prepare us to enter on the day sacred to 
devotion ; and when our days and weeks on 
earth shall be closing, and the night of death 
shall come, may we then fall asleep in Jesus, 
looking for that morning of the resurrection, 
when we may be admitted to nobler services in 
thy heavenly temple. Amen, 


97 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS. 


PRAYERS. 


For a Sick Person . 

Be merciful, O Lord ! in a particular manner 
to this family, into which thou hast permitted 
sickness to enter. Graciously support thy ser- 
vant under thine afflicting hand. If it seem 
good in thy sight, bless the means which are 
using for his* restoration and usefulness. May 
the fruit of affliction be the taking away of sin. 
Endue him with patience to possess his soul, and 
to resign himself to thine all-wise disposal. And 
may every disorder we feel in ourselves or ob¬ 
serve in others, make us more sensible of the 
frailty of our nature, and engage us to apply 
our hearts, with greater diligence, to that wisdom 
which shall prepare us for death and eternity. 

* The words, his , him, he , &c. printed in Italics, may 
be changed into her , she , &c. as the occasion may require, 

9 






9b 


For a Sick Child . 

O Tiiou, who art a present help in every 
time of need ! Our trust and hope are in thee ! 
O God, we come with our intercessions for thy 
young servant , who is labouring under pain and 
sickness. We beseech thee, if it be thy will, to 
remove the disorder under which he labours, and 
to restore him to strength and health. Suffer 
not the wishes and hopes of his parents to be 
disappointed ; but in thy great mercy, spare him 
to be the comfort and support of their advancing 
years, and to be useful in the world. But what¬ 
ever thou hast determined concerning him, thy 
will, O God, be done. Into thy hands we com¬ 
mit ourselves and all our enjoyments; we de¬ 
sire, at all times, patiently to submit to thine ap¬ 
pointments ; and we humbly pray*, that, what¬ 
ever shall be the issue of this visitation, thou 
wouldst endue the minds of those whom it more 
nearly concerns, with resignation to thy holy 
providence ; and may we all, by what we suffer 
as well as by what we enjoy, be trained up for 
that world, where there shall be no more sorrow 
nor pain, nor death. 


99 


In time of Sickness. 

Q Thou, who knowest what is best for us! 
in this time of sympathy and distress, we call 
upon thee, who art the great Physician of soul 
and body, for compassion and deliverance. With 
humble submission to thy wisdom and goodness, 
may we regard the lives dear to us, as at thy dis¬ 
posal, and in every instance bow to thy holy will. 
Thou, O Lord ! healest all our diseases, thou 
redeemest our lives from destruction, and crown- 
est us with lovingkindness and tender mercy. 
Our help is in thee alone. Look upon us, we 
beseech thee, in pity and in love. Rebuke the 
malady which prevails among us, and may the 
lives and health of thy people be precious in 
thy sight. 


In time of War. 

Wilt thou, who stillest the noise of the seas, 
and the tumult of the people, cause the wrath of 
man to praise thee, and the remainder of wrath 
do thou restrain. Suffer not our enemies to be 
thy scourge unto us; but remove from us the 
calamity of war, and may the alarm thereof no 
more be heard in our streets. Prevent, we he 



100 


seech thee, the effusion of human blood, and 
cause our enemies to be at peace with us on just 
and honourable terms; and may we long enjoy 
the blessings of tranquillity, having none to mo¬ 
lest or to make us afraid. O God! wilt thou 
hasten the time, when the reign of peace shall 
commence under the Prince of peace, and when 
wars shall cease to the ends of the earth. 


After the Death of any Person in a Family . 

Eternal God ! without whose direction and 
providence, nothing happeneth to us in life or 
death ; out of the depths of affliction and sor¬ 
row, unto thee do we lift up our souls; for our 
help and our hopes are in thee. Our iives are in 
thy hands; and all our enjoyments are at thy 
disposal. Thou didst at first call us into life, by 
thy mighty power ; and, when thou takest away 
our breath, we die, and return to the dust. 

In the midst of life we are in death ; to whom 
shall we go for succour, but unto thee, O Lord, 
who changest not, and who hast been the refuge 
of the children of men, in all generations ? The 
Lord liveth ; let our hearts rejoice ; and let the 
God of our salvation be forever exalted. Under 
all the troubles of this mortal life, thy mercy 



101 


which endureth forever, is our confidence and 
joy. Behold thy servants, O Lord ; do with us 
whatsoever seemetli good in thy sight, not our 
wills, but thine be done. The Lord gave, and 
the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name 
of the Lord. Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his 
abundant mercy, hath begotten us again, by the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to 
the lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible, 
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. 

Sanctify unto us, O God, the dispensation of 
thy providence which hath taken from the bosom 
of this family one of its members. May we, 
when we see one after another called away, be 
induced to consider what persons we ought to 
be. May we submit to thy will, and be able to 
make a wise improvement of thy dealings. O 
may we live as those who have here no continu¬ 
ing city, and prepare to follow those who have 
gone before us. 


After the Death of a Neighbour . 

Ever living God ! in whose sight a thousand 
ages are but as yesterday when it is past, and as 
a watch in the night! be thou the support of thy 
9 * 




102 


servants who are now mourning the loss of a 
relative and friend. Sanctify, we beseech thee, 
this visitation of thy providence. May they ex¬ 
perience the consolations which religion affords. 
By the frequent instances of mortality around us, 
may we learn to know our end, and the measure 
of our days, what it is, that we may know how 
frail we are. Neighbour after neighbour art 
thou calling away, and house after house hath 
witnessed the footsteps of death. Merciful God ! 
O teach us to live in such a manner as we shall 
wish we had done, when we come to die. What¬ 
soever our hands find to do, may we do it with 
all our might, since there is no work or device 
in the grave, whither we are going. Give us 
grace to follow the good examples of those who 
have departed this life in thy faith and fear, that 
at length we may, with them, be partakers of 
thy heavenly kingdom. May we glorify thee on 
earth, and finish the work thou hast given us to 
do, that when we shall leave this world we may 
rest in peace ; and being found acceptable in thy 
sight, may we be received to the reward of faith¬ 
ful servants, through the riches of divine grace 
in Jesus Christ. 



103 


For a Person going on a Journey . 

Almighty God! the .Preserver of all thy 
creatures, and the Confidence of the ends of the 
earth! We would humbly recommend to thy 
gracious protection, thy servant , who is going 
from us. While far distant from us, may thy 
providence defend him. Preserve him from the 
peculiar dangers to which he may be exposed, 
and, above all, from moral evil. Succeed him in 
all his lawful and honourable designs, and re¬ 
store him to his friends in innocence and safety, 
that he may have fresh occasions to celebrate the 
praises of thy goodness with a thankful heart. 
And may we long live together, to enjoy the 
pleasures of domestic life, and to manifest our 
thankfulness for thy various mercies. 


For a Person going on a Voyage . 

Eternal and merciful Jehovah! thou art 
our Protector, and thou art our Hope. Thou 
spreadest out the heavens, and rulest the raging 
of the ocean. At thy command the winds and 
storms arise ; and at thy word they are still. Re¬ 
ceive thy servant, we beseech thee, under thine 



104 


almighty protection. Preserve Jvwi from the dan* 
gers of the sea, and the attempts of wicked men. 
Be with him in other lands for his security and 
his health ; and may his life be very precious in 
thy sight. In the appointed time, wilt thou re¬ 
store him to his native country in safety, to enjoy 
the fruits of his industry and labour, the benefits 
of society, and the endearments of domestic life, 
with a thankful remembrance of thy mercies, 
who art the giver of all good. 


For Rain . 

O Thou, who art the Author of nature! 
thou didst promise to give rain unto thy faithful 
people, in due season; and hast promised by thy 
Son, that all who seek thy kingdom and the 
righteousness thereof, shall receive all things 
necessary to their bodily sustenance ; send us, 
we beseech thee, in this our necessity, such 
moderate showers of rain, that we may receive 
the fruits of the earth to our comfort and relief. 
No longer, we pray thee, make the heavens over 
our heads as brass, nor the rain of our land, 
powder and dust. But wilt thou, who art the 
Father of the rain, visit and water thy weary 
heritage, that there may be grass for the cattle, 




105 


and corn for the service of man. The year, O 
God, is thine ; and wilt thou crown it with thy 
blessing. 


For favourable Weather . 

Father of mercies! while we acknowledge 
thee in all thy dealings with us and bow with 
submission to thy chastisements, we would im¬ 
plore thy smiles upon this season, in which our 
plenty may be turned into scarceness. We would 
see thee in what we suffer. May thy blessing yet 
be upon the year ; and the fruits of the earth 
in due time be brought to perfection. O may 
we learn by thy dispensations, to amend our 
lives; and while we rejoice in thy clemency, 
may we keep from abusing thy various bounties 
by intemperance. Grant that we may use them 
with sobriety and thankfulness, being bountiful 
and charitable to those who are in want. For¬ 
give us, O Lord, our many transgressions, and 
deal with us according to thine abundant mercy 
in Jesus Christ. 



106 


THANKSGIVING. 


For Recovery from Sickness . 

To the praises which we always owe to thee, 
the Author of every good, for all thy kindness, 
we would, at this time, call upon our souls to 
thank thee, with peculiar emotions of gratitude, 
for the restoration of thy servant to health. 
Thou hast preserved him from death ; thou hast 
spoken the word of healing, and he liveth. We 
will unite to praise thee, for thou hast heard our 
supplications, and art become our salvation. 
Thou hast chastened us ; but hast delivered us 
from the evil we feared. Perfect the recovery 
of thy servant. Give us a deep sense of thy 
mercy in this instance; assist thy servant to 
devote himself to thy glory ; and enable us all 
so to improve the blessing of health, that we may 
look forward with joy to that world, where there 
will be no sickness nor pain. 



107 


For Peace. 

O thou God of peace, and lover of concord 
accept our heartfelt thanks for the return and 
continuance of our national peace and tranquillity. 
May we be duly sensible of this instance of thy 
goodness to us, and by making a proper improve¬ 
ment of it, secure thy future favour, and thus 
be that happy people, whose God is the Lord. 
Unite the hearts of all mankind in the bonds of 
brotherly love ; and may the happy time soon 
come, when .the calamities of war shall cease 
forever, and peace and righteousness universally 
prevail. 


After a Journey . 

O father, our Refuge and our Strength! 
protection, comfort, and success are all from 
thee. We join with thy servant in returning 
thee thanks, for preserving him from all the 
dangers to which he has been exposed, and for 
restoring him to his family and friends, in health 
and safety. While we rejoice in every instance 
of thy goodness to ourselves or friends, may we 
be careful to express the sense we have of our 





108 


obligations to thee, by a suitable life and eon* 
versation. 


After a Voyage. 

We thank thee, Lord of heaven and earth ! 
that thou hast graciously watched over thy ser¬ 
vant during his exposure to the dangers of the 
sea. Thine arm hath been under him for his 
safety. Write upon his heart the characters of 
gratitude. May he be duly sensible of thy con¬ 
tinual providence, and determine to dedicate to 
thee the life thou hast preserved. 


For Rain . 

O God, our heavenly Father! who by thy 
gracious providence dost cause the rain to descend 
upon the earth, that it may bring forth fruit for 
the use of man ; we give thee humble thanks 
that it hath pleased thee, in our necessity, to 
send us a joyful rain, and to refresh and fertilize 
the earth, to the great comfort of us thy servants, 
who desire to be grateful to thee for thy season¬ 
able kindness, and to acknowledge ourselves in- 




109 


debted unto thee, not only for this, but for all the 
blessings we enjoy. 


For fair Weather . 

O God, who hast mercifully relieved us in 
this seasonable and happy change of weather! 
we praise thee for this mercy ; and far from 
overlooking the common bounties of thy provi¬ 
dence, we desire to receive them with true grati¬ 
tude, and to show our thankfulness by using 
them as we ought. While we live by thy good¬ 
ness, may we live to thy praise. 


For a fruitful Season. 

Bountiful Benefactor! all that we possess 
proceeds from thy munificence. To thy sove¬ 
reign goodness we are indebted for all the advan¬ 
tages of our condition. We rejoice at this time 
with humble thankfulness in the gifts of thine 
undeserved bounty ; that thou hast caused the 
earth to yield its increase, and crowned the year 
with thy goodness. Ytar after year hast thou 
furnished out the treasures of nature for our 
support, and we have had all things richly to 
10 






110 


enjoy. Whilst thou art thus sending down thy 
blessings upon us, dispose us to live in a sober, 
temperate, and charitable enjoyment of them, 
and to bring forth the fruits ol holiness all the 
days of our life. 


For Health, or any particular Blessing . 

O thou first and best of Beings ! We thank 
thee that the voice of health and peace is heard 
in our habitation ! Imploring thy favour for the 
f uture, and acknowledging thy goodness in all 
the various blessings bestowed on us ; we would 
particularly offer thee our fervent thanks for the 
recent and important blessing, which fills our 
hearts with j >v. For the pleasure it yields, for 
the relief it affords, and for the circumstances of 
comfort it brings, accept, O Father, our heartfelt 
praise. While thy smiles are upon us, may we 
remember that our strength is from thee, and 
that when thou vvithdrawest thy face, we are 
troubled. O may thy goodness lead us to thee ; 
and may we rejoice as though we rejoiced not, 
considering that the fashion of this world passeth 
away. 



FAMILY PRAYERS ADAPTED TO PARTICULAR 
TIMES. 


At the Close of the Year . 

Eternal Jehovah! in thee we live, and 
move, and have our being. In thy hand is our 
breath ; it is because thou hast sustained us, 
that we have continued to this day. With 
praise to thee, the God of our lives, we come 
into thy presence, and worship at thy footstool. 
Thou art the unfailing Source of mercy. Thou 
didst bring us into this world, and place us in 
this probationary state. Thou didst shield us 
from every danger, during the exposures of 
infancy; and every day have we tasted that 
the Lord is gracious. We fed upon thy boun¬ 
ties, before we knew thee to be the Giver of 
every good and perfect gift. Thou hast helped 
us in all our troubles. Often hast thou healed 
our diseases, removed our sorrows, and renewed 
our strength. Thy candle has shone upon our 
dwelling, thy love has nourished us, and 
thy smiles have gladdened our hearts. Whils 



112 


many, during the last year, have been cut 
down, and have passed into an awful eternity, 
we are yet numbered with the living. Through 
the riches of thy longsuffering and forbearance, 
thou art continuing us in a state of trial, giving 
us space for repentance, and favouring us with 
thy holy Gospel, and with all necessary means 
of grace and reformation. 

God of compassion ! take not thy spirit from 
us. Continue to us thy heavenly blessings.. 
Prepare us for future changes in our condition, 
and let them be sanctified to our truest interest 
and happiness. We commit ourselves to thy 
care ; we devote ourselves to thy service ; we 
refer all events concerning us, to thine infinite 
wisdom and fatherly goodness. Lead us season¬ 
ably to consider the things that belong to our 
peace. Give us realizing views of death, and 
a judgment to come. Enable us to depart 
from the world, when thou shall call us away, 
with tranquillity and comfort of mind, exempt 
from the terrors of guilt ; and bring us to the 
enjoyment of thy favour in the realms of light 
and glory, through the mediation of Jesus Christ 
our Saviour. Amen. 


113 


At the Beginning of the Year . 

O thou who art the same from everlasting 
to everlasting ! God of the spirits of all flesh ! 
Preserver of the children of men ! hear in mer¬ 
cy thy servants, who raise their hearts unto 
thee. We acknowledge, that, in seasons past, 
we have often been too earnest about things 
of sense and time, too regardless of the objects 
of faith and futurity. We confess we have too 
often walked in a vain show, and disquieted 
ourselves in vain. We cannot deny that we 
have been oftentimes undutiful and unthankful. 
Shouldst thou judge without mercy, we must 
be utterly destitute of hope. Shouldst thou 
deal with us according to our sins, we must 
be miserable indeed. But we rejoice that 
thou desirest not the ruin of thy creatures, 
but rather that they should repent and live. 
It is our desire, O God, to cast off all the 
unfruitful works of darkness, and to walk as 
children of the light and of the day. It is our 
purpose, that this year shall witness our greater 
reformation from every thing that is amiss in 
us, and our increasing improvement in the 
graces of the Christian character. 

10 * 


114 


If it be consistent with the purposes of thy 
inscrutable wisdom, we pray, O Lord ! that 
our lives may be spared ; not merely that we 
may enjoy an animal existence, but that we 
may be furnished with an opportunity of doing 
and becoming better. We commit all our con¬ 
cerns to thee ; and would submit to those cir¬ 
cumstances, which thou, who alone knowest. 
what is best for us, shalt ordain. If thou wilt, 
we desire the continuance of health and comfort. 
If thou shouldst send sickness or adversity to 
us, may we be prepared for these and all other 
changes in our condition. If it be thy decree, 
that this year we should die, may we be ready 
for our departure. We dare not say we will 
do this or that ; but we would cherish one 
resolution, to become and always to be such 
as thou shalt be pleased to approve. 

Heavenly Father ! do thou preserve us from 
every injurious delay. Let not the night of 
darkness, in which no man can work, overtake 
us unawares. Forbid that we should ever pre¬ 
sume on life, or boast of tomorrow, or be 
immoderately attached to earthly things. May 
we always do with diligence what thou shalt 
appoint us to perform. If death shall approach 
us by slow advances, may it find us well em- 


115 


ployed ; and if we are suddenly called to 
exchange worlds, may it not be our lot, to have 
treasured up fear and remorse. 

O thou, who art the God of our lives and 
the length of our days ! We would begin this 
year with thee ; and in thy service we would 
spend it. Aid us in all our doings by thy most 
gracious favour, and preserve us from every 
evil. And when our years shall cease to re¬ 
volve on earth, O receive us to thy presence, 
where there is neither beginning of years nor 
end of days. Hear us, O God! through our 
great Mediator, and unto thee, the King eter¬ 
nal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be 
honour and glory forever and ever. Amen. 


O God ! the Creator and Preserver of all, 
things! With unerring wisdom thou maintain- 
est the beauty and order of nature. We look 
up with joy and confidence to thy gracious 
power, which causeth the returning seasons to 
know their place. Thou hast sent forth thy 
spirit; thou renewest the face of the earth. 
The laws of nature are thy government, and 



116 


the effects of them are the dispensations of 
thy providence. ■Summer and winter, seed¬ 
time and harvest, cold and heat, aie directed 
by thee. At one time thou givest snow like 
wool, and scatterest the hoar frost like ashes ; 
at another time thou bringest food out of the 
earth, and causest grass to grow for cattle, and 
herb for the service of man. 

Because thine eye is upon the year, from 
the beginning even unto the end, we are now 
called to rejoice that the winter is past, the 
rain is over and gone, the flowers appear upon 
earth, the singing of birds is come ; the tree 
puts forth its leaves, and the fields give forth 
their fragrance ; the mountains and hills break 
forth into singing, and the trees of the forest 
clap their hands. O Lord, how manifold are 
thy works ! 

We bless thee for the beneficial influences of 
the heavenly bodies; for the light of the sun, 
and the constant revolution of the seasons, and 
all the rich provision thou hast made for our 
present support and delight. We bless thee for 
all our comforts during the inclemencies of the 
winter which is now past; for all the pleasant 
intercourse of domestic life, and the kind offices 
of mutual friendship and good neighbourhood ; 


lit 


and, above all, we rejoice in our capacities for 
contemplating thy mighty works with emotions 
of religious praise and pleasure. 

We now behold the effects of thy powerful 
energy. All nature bespeaks a present Deity. 
We would look up to thee, from whom cometh 
our help. May devotion invigorate and sanctify 
the labours of the approaching season. May 
he who plougheth, plough with religious hope. 
May he who soweth, duly rejoice in the expec¬ 
tation of his reaping. As our great Exemplar 
hath taught us, we pray for our daily bread ; 
and wilt thou feed us with food convenient for 
us. Bless thou the springing of the year, and 
enrich the earth with the rain of heaven; let 
our pastures be clothed with flocks, our vallies 
covered with corn, and the year crowned with 
thy goodness. 

Above all, we beseech thee to multiply the 
spiritual seed of divine truth. Crown with an 
abundant blessing our spiritual labours ; and 
while we reap the harvest of bread, 0 may we 
reap the richer fruits of righteousness. By our 
spiritual improvements, may we be like unto 
that earth, which, drinking in the rain that 
cometh oft upon it, bringeth forth herbs meet 
for them by whom it is dressed, and receiveth 


118 


blessing from God ; and not like unto that, 
which, bearing thorns and briars, is rejected, 
and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be 
burned. 

Establish us in every good word and work, 
and unite us more closely to him whcrls the 
true vine. As branches in him, wilt thou 
mercifully spare and purge us, and may we 
glorify thee, our heavenly Father, by bearing 
much fruit. Unto thee, O God, who art th§ 
Author of our condition, and the Foundation 
of our hopes, be praises everlasting. Amen* 


Simmer . 

Eternal God, the Creator of the world, 
whose almighty power and continual agency 
are seen by the things which are made ! we 
beseech thee to enable us to derive instruction 
from the prospects of the present season. We 
would raise our thoughts to thee, by whom 
the sun rises in his strength, and in his daily 
course diffuses light and heat over the world ; 
by whom the earth is overspread with trees, 
and herbs, and flowers; who art the Father 



119 


of the former and latter rain, and nightly be- 
gettest the drops of the dew. We adore thee 
in a 1 the various productions of the earth, 
which thou art now causing to advance to 
maturity for the support, comfort, and delight 
of thy creatures. We desire never to forget 
thine hand in the glorious scenes by which we 
are surrounded, or cease to receive all the 
moral lessons thy works convey. While we 
gratefully adore thy goodness in the present 
circumstances of this life, teach us to trust in 
thy mercy and deliverance when adversity shall 
overtake us. May we preserve on our minds 
an affecting sense of this truth, that all flesh is 
grass, and the glory of man as the flower of 
grass. Having been planted in thy vineyard, 
may we bring forth much good fruit, so that 
we may finally be numbered among those who 
are not cumberers of the ground. May our 
faith increase continually. O grant, that by 
the milk of thy word we may grow up unto 
him in all things who is the head, even Christ. 
Make our souls as a well watered garden ; 
and may the soil, by divine cultivation, yield 
all the peaceable fruits of righteousness. 

We bless thee, whose works as well as w r ords 
speak thy will, for the confirmation which the 


120 


season affords to our religious faith. The corn 
of wheat, that was cast into the ground, has 
resumed the body that pleased thee. We will 
inquire no more,—How are the dead raised up, 
and with what bodies do they come? We 
rejoice in the prospect of the peaceful bow in 
the clouds, the early pledge of thine inviolable 
fidelity, and repose ourselves under the shadow 
of the Almighty. 

O that man would praise the Lord for his 
goodness and wonderful works to the children 
of men! Blessed be the Lord God, from ever¬ 
lasting to everlasting, and let all the people say, 
Amen. 


Autumn . 

O thou, who art giving us all things richly 
to enjoy ! Bountiful Father ! we bless thee lor 
the rich provision which thou hast made for our 
bodily sustenance. Although we have not walk¬ 
ed in thy statutes, and kept thy commandments 
as we ought, yet, by thy mercy, the land has 
yielded her increase and the trees their fruit. 
We praise thee for the blessings of the harvest, 
which have been so abundant, and beseech thee 



to direct us in the temperate and frugal use of 
thy various bounties. O may we not expose 
ourselves to the accusation of wasting thy 
goods, nor abuse them in riotous living. With 
humble thanks we would receive and enjoy 
thy gifts, acknowledging at the same time, that 
we are not worthy of the rich fruits of thy 
providence. 

Grant, O Father, that our souls may be im¬ 
pressed with divine lessons from the prospects of 
the season. We have been planted in thy vine¬ 
yard ; we have been united to a choice vine ; 
but, alas ! we confess with shame, that we have 
not brought forth grapes that are good, but wild 
grapes; and thou mightest in just judgment 
have taken away the hedge, broken down the 
wall, trodden under foot thy vineyard, and com¬ 
manded the clouds no more to rain upon it. But 
we are witnesses of the divine patience and for¬ 
bearance. Spare us of thy grace, and grant us 
a further season to bring forth fruit. When thy 
love does not constrain obedience, may thy ter¬ 
rors persuade; and by the expectation of the 
harvest in the end of the world, may we be a- 
wakened to sobriety, diligence, and watchful¬ 
ness. O may we all, at this season, receive 
the joyful assurance, that the wise and worthy 
11 


122 


shall reap in clue time, if they faint not. Assist 
us, O God, while we are amidst the rich favours 
of thy providence, to live to thy praise. We 
offer our prayers through him in whom we have 
a hope full of immortality ; and in his name be 
glory to thee forever. Amen. 


Whiter. 

Supremely great and glorious Lord our God! 
before the mountains were brought forth, or ever 
thou hadst formed the earth or the world, from 
everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. The 
things which our eyes behold shall perish, but 
thou shalt endure ;—they shall be changed, but 
thou art the same, and thy years shall have no 
end. Thou art calling us, at this time, to wit¬ 
ness the periodical decay of nature ; yet not 
without a hope, from the immutability of thy 
character and laws, that there will be a renova¬ 
tion. 

In the order of thy works, thou art now giv¬ 
ing snow like wool, scattering the hoar-frost 
like ashes, and sending thy cold, before which 
none can stand. With devout gratitude we re¬ 
tire to our warm habitations, and solace our¬ 
selves with the unity and love of our domestic 



123 


retreats. We would be particularly mindful of 
our brethren, who may inhabit the cheerless 
house of want. O may not our hearts be cold, 
when we see the naked; nor our hands be shut 
against the hungry. May the poor every where 
have occasion to bless the rich, and may prayers, 
thanksgivings, and alms, unitedly ascend to thee. 
Appear, O Father, for the protection of those 
who are coming on our seacoast at this danger¬ 
ous season ; when they are tossed and afflicted, 
do thou deliver them, and bring them to their 
destined haven. 

O thou who rulest the year ! may our reflec¬ 
tions on the season carry religious lessons to our 
hearts. We adore thy incomprehensible power, 
which ordains, in their proper order, the effects 
we now behold. Thou sendest forth thy com¬ 
mandment upon earth, and the windy storm and 
tempest fulfil thy pleasure. By thee, the waters 
are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep 
is frozen. All is the work of thy almighty 
strength and boundless wisdom. We desire to 
be filled with a sense of thy care and love, when 
we consider thy multiplied provisions for the 
support and comfort of man and beast, during 
this barren, inclement season. We rejoice be¬ 
fore thee in the assurance that the elements are 


124 


under thy c©»trol, subject to thy invariable laws ; 
and that in the appointed time, thou, who bind- 
est the sweet influences of Pleiades, wilt loose 
the bands of Orion, renew the face of the earth, 
and spread life and beauty through all nature. 

O thou who hast given senses and speech and 
reason to man! preserve us from misemploying 
the leisure now afforded us in excessive or hurt¬ 
ful diversions; but may we use it for cultiva¬ 
ting our minds, examining our hearts, and laying 
up stores of knowledge and goodness. O may 
the changes of the year lead us to consider how 
the fashion of this world passeth away, and to 
place our affections on thee, the unchangeable 
and eternal good. 

By the death of the powers of nature, thou 
warnest us to remember that we are mortal ; 
and that if, by reason of strength, we live many 
years, we may expect old age to benumb our fac¬ 
ulties, and destroy our activity. By our dili¬ 
gence and fidelity in youth and manhood, may 
we provide comfortable reflections and pleasing 
hopes, to cheer us in the days of infirmity and 
the winter of life. 

Blessed be thy name, that as we know thou, 
wilt make the fields, now desolate, to rejoice, so 
thou wilt raise from the dead those who sleep ia 


Jesus ; that this mortal shall put on immortality, 
and this corruptible shall put on incorruption. 
O make us thy upright and faithful servants 
while vve live, that we may die in peace, and rest 
in hope, and rise in glory, through Jesus Christ, 
the Prince of life. Amen. 


Annual Fast. 

Almighty and most merciful God ! the right¬ 
eous Lord who loveth holiness ; who art a con¬ 
suming lire to the disobedient and impenitent, 
but a compassionate Father to such as repent and 
turn to thee. We w'ould come before thee this 
day with a humble confession of sin, and the deep¬ 
est self-abasement, beseeching thee to impress on 
our minds every argument to repentance and 
amendment, and to pour out upon the people of 
our land the spirit of prayer and humiliation. 

O thou Supreme Director in human aftairs! 
We thank thee for the advantages of our con¬ 
dition ; that we enjoy liberty, safety and plenty ; 
that we do not groan under the miseries of 
tyranny, and bloodshed, and ruin ; that thou 
hast given us fruitful seasons, and preserved 
us from famine, pestilence, and war. Surely 
11 * 




the lines are fallen to us in pleasant places, and 
we have a goodly heritage. Yet we have made 
unworthy returns for thy lovingkindness, and 
shown ourselves undeserving of thy mercies. 
We lament that plenty has been abused by 
luxury, and liberty by licentiousness ; our ease 
and safety, by strife, envyings, and divisions. 
We lament that so little of the power of godli¬ 
ness is manifested ; that so many restrain prayer 
before thee; and, after all the expressions of 
thy will, do yet trample on the authority of thy 
laws. Surely it is of thy mercy that we are 
not consumed, and because thy compassions 
fail not. 

O God ! awaken us, we entreat thee, to a 
sense of our manifold and repeated provocations; 
pardon the crying sins of our nation ; forgive all 
who humble themselves before thee this day ; 
and spare thy people. Show us the things 
which belong to our peace, before the best day 
of reconciliation be past. Fill us with that godly 
sorrow for sin which works true repentence. O 
may we no longer abuse thy mercies, but keep, 
this day, the fast which thou hast chosen ; and 
loosing every bond of wickedness, become a 
peculiar people, zealous of good works, so that 
thy displeasure may be turned away, and thou 


127 


mayest delight to build us up, and not to de¬ 
stroy us. 

Grant, we earnestly beseech thee, this day 
healing mercy unto us who have corrupted our 
manners ; who have been indifferent to thy wor¬ 
ship ; neglected the interests of early education; 
indulged a spirit of animosity ; and made no 
suitable resistence to the inundation of profane¬ 
ness and immorality. Animate us to rise and 
join with one heart and soul in promoting the 
honour of thy name, the interests of religion, 
and the prosperity and happiness of our land. 
May it not any longer be a source of lamenta¬ 
tion to the righteous, that no man repents of his 
wickedness, saying, What have I done ? May 
every one rend his heart, and keep such a fast 
as thou hast chosen. 

O thou, who rulest in the kingdoms of men! 
we intercede for all in authority. The hearts 
of rulers are in thy hands. Restrain their evil 
passions, and endue them with that wisdom 
which is from above, which is first pure and 
then peaceable. May all their consultations 
and measures contribute to the stability of our 
times, to the prosperity of all conditions of men, 
to the welfare of our children, and to the spread¬ 
ing of thy name and glory in the earth. These 


128 


blessings we ask, not presuming on the ardency 
of our prayers, on the sorrow of our minds, or 
the humiliation of our bodies, but upon thy mer¬ 
cy to repenting and returning sinners, through 
Jesus Christ. 

Universal Parent and Governor ! be merci¬ 
ful to the whole race of man; enlighten all who 
sit in darkness and error ; send forth a spirit of 
peace and good will; restrain the violence of un¬ 
reasonable men; exalt the meek; put an end to 
all deception ; smile upon the interests of learn¬ 
ing; and may no weapon, formed against the 
rights and happiness of men, prosper. Multiply, 
we beseech thee, the patterns of Christian virtue, 
and the instruments of benefaction to men ; ex¬ 
tirpate idolatry; direct all flesh to the knowledge 
of thy Son ; and may thy kingdom come, and 
will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 

God of our fathers ! We look to thee for thy 
blessing upon the year, and for thy guidance 
and protection of us. Vouchsafe to keep us by 
thine almighty providence at every period ; and 
at the end of our earthly course receive us to 
thyself in glory, through him who gave himself 
for us; through whom to thee be ceaseless 
praises. Amen. 


129 


Annual Tkanksgiving. 

(!) thou, who art good unto all, who exercises^ 
lovingkindness in all the earth, and who hast* 
oome nigh to us by Jesus Christ, thy Son ! It is 
thou who holdest our souls in life ; who givest Us 
our daily bread, health in our habitations, peace 
in our borders, and who crownest the year with 
thy goodness! We desire this day, with affec¬ 
tionate gratitude, to recount thy mercies, and 
piously to ascribe honour and blessing, glory and 
praise to thee, our Rock and Fortress, our 
Strength and Redeemer. We would rest this 
day before thee, and make it a season of temper¬ 
ate feasting and religious gladness. 

How precious have been thy thoughts unto us, 
O God ! how great is the sum of them ! We 
bless thee for thy smiles upon the year ; for the 
warm influences of the sun ; and for timely and 
refreshing showers upon our fields. We bless 
thee for preserving our houses from the ravages 
of fire ; for all the health and pleasures we have 
enjoyed in them ; for every portion of bread 
which has given strength to our bodies; for 
whatever has arrested the progress of disease 5 
and for the tear of sympathy which has comfort¬ 
ed our trouble. We thank thee for every cheer¬ 
ful sensation, when alone ; for the pleasures of 


130 


friendly intercourse; for the benefits of good 
neighbourhood ; for the privileges of public 
worship; for the maintenance of civil order; 
the continuance of peace ; the administration of 
justice; for every encouragement to welldoing; 
every manifestation of useful truth ; and for all 
the advantages of our condition. 

God of goodness! direct us graciously to a 
right improvement of all thy mercies. Preserve 
us from the wicked indulgence of all fleshly 
lusts ; and from wasting our substance in riotous 
living. May we enjoy our earthly posessions 
with temperance, cheerfulness, and contentment. 
Protect us against the snares of prosperity. 
May we honour thee with our substance, be rich 
in good works, and duly esteem thee, the Rock 
of our salvation. 

Perpetuate our privileges both private and 
common ; continue to us the enjoyment of our 
civil rights ; disappoint the devices of the crafty; 
prolong the days and usefulness of those public 
men, under whose administration the righteous 
flourish, who cause every man to sit without 
fear under his vine and fig-tree, and who make 
our land a quiet habitation. O God ! grant 
peace, order, and plenty in our families, our 
villages, and towns, and throughout our country. 
May our rulers have wisdom to direct, and 


131 


integrity to pursue, such plans as shall best 
promote our highest good. Wilt thou bless 
all fountains of useful science ; heal and cleanse 
their waters ; dispel the mists of ignorance; 
arrest the progress of profaneness and vice ; 
make the people of our land humble before 
thee ; peaceable in their civil and social rela¬ 
tions ; and zealous for the establishment of 
liberty, order, and truth. O may we never, 
by our ingratitude, incur that censure—“ I 
have nourished and brought up children, but 
they have rebelled against me.” 

Anil now unto the Governor among the 
nations, on whom their safety and prosperity 
ultimately depend ; unto the King of kings, 
and Lord of lords, be glory and majesty, do¬ 
minion and power, forever and ever. Amen. 


Christmas . 

Supremely blessed and glorious God ! We 
bring this day our sacrifice of praise for the 
glad tidings of the gospel; we welcome the 
first rising of the Sun of righteousness, and 
would join with the angelic host in ascriptions 
of praise to thee who sittest on the throne for 




132 


erer and ever. We bless thee, O Lord God 
of Israel, for sending, in the fulness of time, the 
Messenger of thy holy covenant; for raising 
up a horn of salvation in the house of thy 
servant David, and performing the mercy 
promised to the Jewish fathers, by the mouth 
of thy holy prophets. We are excited this day 
to direct our thoughts to Christ, our Saviour 
and our Lord; to the corner-stone tried and 
precious, which thou didst lay in Zion ; to that 
great salvation, which thou didst prepare before 
the face of all people. Glory be to thee, O 
God ! for the grace and truth manifested in 
Jesus, the Son of thy love, the Prophet whom 
thou didst anoint with thy holy spirit without, 
measure. 

We bring praise to thine altar, Father all 
glorious! for divine compassion shown to a 
world lying in wickedness. Thou didst send 
forth thy Son to redeem men from the curse of 
the law, to proclaim remission of sins, to deliver 
us from the wrath to come, to abolish death 
and bring life and immortality to light. We 
hear the glad tidings of the Prince of peace, 
We are instructed by the Son in the Father’s 
will, and to us is made the gracious offer of 
eternal life. Cheerfully and thankfully would 


133 


we embrace the merciful invitations and offered 
blessings of the Gospel. Our eyes see, our 
ears hear the things with which kings and 
prophets desired an acquaintance. May we 
both value and improve the inestimable advan¬ 
tages which we have received, and whilst we 
piously confess that the lines have fallen to us in 
pleasant places, and we have a goodly heritage, 
may w 7 e practically remember, that it will be 
more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the 
day of judgment, than for us, if we refuse the 
great salvation, which began first to be spoken 
by the Lord. With unfeigned thanksgivings we 
accept the unspeakable gift of the Saviour, by 
whom we are inspired with confidence in thy 
paternal love, and by looking unto whom we 
learn to consider thee under the glorious and 
consoling relation of our Father, and are filled 
with full assurance of the riches of thy mercy. 
May the joy of truly believing ever reign in 
our hearts. O may we with our whole souls 
obey him, whom we receive as the Way and 
the Truth and the Life. In his steps we de¬ 
sire diligently to tread ; and we beseech thee 
to grant, through him, that we may finally with 
him be exalted to heavenly glory and happiness. 

12 




Almighty Father! may the peace of Jesus 
Christ rest upon the whole earth; may his 
kingdom be established and extended, and rule 
over all. Wherever Christianity is planted, 
may it be watered ; may the Gospel be instru¬ 
mental to the remotest ends of the earth in 
spreading knowledge and comfort, righteousness 
and peace. May the cheering rays of the Sun 
of righteousness penetrate to the north and the 
south, the east and west, and all flesh approach, 
with acceptance, thine holy altar. May the 
voice of him who bringeth good tidings, be 
heard in Jerusalem; and while the cities of 
Judah behold their God, may the earth be fill¬ 
ed with the knowledge of the Lord. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us in him with 
all spiritual blessings in heavenly things ; who 
hath granted unto us, to enjoy the day which 
the patriarchs foresaw, the prophets foretold, 
and the righteous men of the earth desired to 
see. 

Hosanna to the Son of David, who comes in 
the name of the Highest to save us ! Glory be 
to God, that there is peace on earth, and good 
will from heaven to men! Salvation and glory 
and honour and power be unto the Lord our 
God forever. Amen. 


PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 


Morning Prayer for an Individual. 

Eternal and almighty God ! Wherever I 
turn, I behold proofs and manifestations of thy 
being, presence, and constant agency. By thy 
power were the heavens created, and all the 
host of them by the breatli of thy mouth. Thou 
spakest and it was done; thou commandedst and 
all things stood fast. The indulgent Benefactor 
of all the beings which thy hands have formed, 
thou art every where present, watching over 
them. Thy mercies unto me are new every 
morning; they are repeated as fast as the fleet¬ 
ing moments of my life. To all my temporal 
mercies, thou hast added the privileges of reli¬ 
gion, and the animating hope of immortality. 
I would be thankful, O most merciful Father, 
for all the blessings of which I am a partaker, 
as the creature of thy power, the care of thy 
providence, and the disciple of thy Son. In 



136 


reviewing the goodness which has crowned my 
days, I am furnished with the strongest motives 
for praising thy name, and for placing a cheer¬ 
ful, unbounded trust in thy faithfulness and love. 
Before I could raise my thoughts to thee, before 
my heart could feel its obligations or my tongue 
express them, thou wast my never failing friend, 
my unceasingly bounteous benefactor. Thou 
hast brought me to riper years ; assigned to me 
my lot in life ; conferred personal and social 
mercies on me ; and caused even disappoint¬ 
ments to be salutary. Thy favours are more 
than J can number, and far beyond what I have 
deserved. O God, strengthen my memory to 
recollect them ; awaken my sense of gratitude; 
teach me justly to value, thankfully to acknowl¬ 
edge, and wisely to improve them. 

But, O Father, amidst thy bounties I have 
been disobedient. I have sometimes disregard¬ 
ed thy presence, inspection, and authority. 1 
have many besetting sins; for I have permitted 
my passions to indulge themselves. I lament, 
in thy presence, that my piety is not more 
habitual and efficacious ; that my benevolence 
is not more pure and extensive. God of mercy ! 
to thee I come through Jesus Christ for thy 
grace. O give me sincere repentance ; create 


137 


within me a clean heart, renew a right spirit 
within me, and enable me hereafter to w r alk with 
steady feet in the way of thy commandments. 

Suffer me not, O God, to be a stranger to 
myself in my intercourse with mankind. Endue 
me with fortitude in the cause of truth and 
virtue ; but grant that I may always behold 
with candour the errors and prejudices of others, 
and bear with a meek and forgiving temper 
their reproaches and their unkindness. O form 
me to a disposition which delights in doing 
good, which seeks occasions to instruct the 
ignorant, to relieve the wretched, and to ad¬ 
vance the interests of peace, truth, and right¬ 
eousness. In the exercise of such a disposition, 
teach me to meet, with patience and submission, 
scenes of disappointment and suffering, per¬ 
suaded they are the dispensations of thine uner¬ 
ring wisdom and infinite benevolence ; and so 
conduct me through this life, that I may be 
prepared to leave it with a mind supported by 
cheerful reflections, and by humble but animat¬ 
ing hopes. 

Hear my supplications, heavenly Parent, for 
all my brethren of mankind ; for the increase of 
Christian knowledge and virtue ; for the happi¬ 
ness of my native land ; for the relief of the 

12 * 



138 


poor; for the support of the afflicted ; and lor 
the best interests of my relations and friends. 

God of my life ! I gratefully acknowledge 
thy watchful care of me through the past night. 
Thou hast been my protector whilst I was un¬ 
conscious of my being, and incapable of guard¬ 
ing against danger. My renewed powers of 
body and mind I desire to dedicate to thy service. 
I invoke thine aid in the business, and thy 
direction amidst the events of the day ; and un¬ 
reservedly confiding in thy fatherly kindness, I 
ascribe unto thee, through Jesus Christ my 
Saviour, everlasting praises. Amen. 


Evening Prayer for an Individual . 

O thou, who hast borne so long with me, and 
done so much for me ! Merciful God! whom to 
know is my highest wisdom, and whom to wor¬ 
ship is my noblest service ! Retiring from every 
mortal eye, with a mind raised above all mortal 
cares, I would contemplate thy perfections and 
providence, and hold sacred intercourse with 
thee, the Father of all spirits. 

Thou rcignest, and all is well. Thy govern¬ 
ment is the government of perfect love, directed 



139 


by unerring wisdom, and carrying its measures 
into effect by resistless power. By methods 
which my limited faculties are unable to com¬ 
prehend, thou causest good to arise out of ap¬ 
parent evil, and order to spring from apparent 
confusion. Although no finite mind can fully 
comprehend the glories of thy nature, yet 
every finite being can repose in the thought, 
that they consist in infinite, eternal, and un¬ 
changeable perfection. Chough clouds and 
darkness may be round about thee, yet right¬ 
eousness and judgment are the habitation of 
thy throne ; and thou wilt, in the end, make 
all things work together for good to those that 
love thee and keep thy commandments. 

It is my earnest desire, O Father, that my 
mind may be open to the full influence of these 
consolatory and animating truths. Deeply im¬ 
pressed by them, may I dismiss every anxious, 
selfish, and repining thought; may I welcome 
with a thankful and contented temper the al¬ 
lotments of thy providence, and indulge no wish 
but to resolve my will into thine ; and by a strict 
conformity to the eternal laws of truth and 
righteousness, to become the voluntary instru¬ 
ment of accomplishing thy designs. Grant me 
to be duly thankful for that light which came 



140 


from heaven by Jesus my Saviour. May I take 
his yoke upon me, and learn of him who was 
meek and lowly of heart, that I may find rest 
to my soul. O may 1 understand the connex¬ 
ion that the Redeemer has with my salvation. 
Help me in all respects to walk worthily of the 
high and holy vocation wherewith he has call¬ 
ed me ; worthily of the great and important 
privileges that are ccmferred upon me; and wor¬ 
thily of the glorious^hopes that are set before 
me. 

For every instance in which my past temper 
and behaviour have been contrary to the rules 
and spirit of the Gospel, I earnestly supplicate 
thy pardon and forgiveness. Teach me, 1 pray 
thee, in what my true dignity and happiness 
consist ; and let not earthly hopes and fears 
have dominion over me, in opposition to the 
suggestions of conscience and the principles of 
religion. 

Anxiously I pray, that I may cherish and 
exercise proper dispositions towards thee, my 
Maker. Since thou art my Parent and Friend, 
may I reverence and love thee above all the ob¬ 
jects of my regard. Since thou art my Bene¬ 
factor, may I be thankful for thy mercies and 
joyfully confide in thy providence. Since thou 


141 


art the final Judge of all men, may I study to 
approve myself in thy sight; and may every 
thought of my mind, every feeling of my heart, 
every word of my tongue, and every action of 
my life, be such as will bear thy inspection 
and the impartial scrutiny of thy tribunal. O 
God ! I would commit my personal and social 
interests to thee, my faithful Creator; and when 
thy wisdom shall call me hence, may I be able, 
knowing in whom 1 have believed, to depart 
with the composure and the hopes of a real 
Christian. 

Father of all ! let it please thee that the 
knowledge and spirit of the Gospel be diffused 
through thy whole family. Bless our land, and 
all w ho rule over us. May thy choice favour 
rest on the ministers of religion, and upon all 
societies of Christians. May the afflicted, in 
the beneficial effects of their afflictions, be able 
to see the hand of a kind Parent. May my 
friends be thy friends ; united one to another, 
by mutual kindness, and to thee by holiness 
and piety. 

O thou, who hast brought me to the close of 
this day in safety,—confidently do I commit 
myself to thy care and protection during the 
slumbers of this night. Watch over me, O 



142 


Father ! in my defenceless moments, and after 
quiet and refreshing sleep, raise me up fitted for 
the duties and events of another day. And 
when this succession of days and nights shall be 
no more, receive me into that state, where I shall 
serve thee without intermission, and yet without 
weariness, through a cloudless, a happy, and an 
eternal day. These my prayers and requests I 
would offer, in his name, through whom I have 
hope in thee, and to God most holy be praise 
everlasting. Amen. 


Sabbath Morning Prayer for an Individual . 

Supremely great and infinitely glorious Lord 
our God ! whom archangels adore, and before 
whom seraphs veil their faces ! With the hosts 
of heaven, who celebrate thy praise, 1 would 
join my feeble offering on earth. With a heart 
deeply penetrated by a sense of thine infinite 
and unspeakable greatness, 1 would humble 
myself before thee, rejoicing that there is a 
name in which 1 can approach thee with hope 
and trust. This day commemorates the resur¬ 
rection of my Lord and Saviour, and confirms 
to me thy gracious promises, In the prevailing 
name of the Redeemer, J come into thy sacred 



143 


presence ; and as the lover of the souls thou 
hast made, I come to resign all I am, and all 
I have, into thy hands, imploring thee, to be 
henceforth my God, my Benefactor, and my 
Portion. 

Thy laws, O God ! I hail as my unalterable 
guide ; thy goodness, as the theme of my con¬ 
stant praise ; thy mercy, the object of my ready 
trust; thy universal providence, the subject of 
my highest joy ; the securing of thy favour, 
my utmost ambition ; and the imitation of thy 
holiness, the end and aim of all my actions. 
Without thee, O Lord! I am weak and needy. 

I have nothing, but what I receive from thee ; 
I can do nothing without thy strength, and see 
nothing without thy light. In thee is my being, 
my happiness, and my hope. 

Father of mercies ! I lift my soul to thee 
in gratitude, for the rich supplies I have receiv¬ 
ed at thy hands. A returning Sabbath, with 
all its hallowed associations, speaks to me of 
thy goodness. Every day, and hour* and 
moment, has laid me under fresh obligations to 
love, and fear, and serve thee. Thou hast 
made the outgoings of the morning and evening 
to rejoice over my head.—But, to all these 
proofs of thy care, thou hast added the last 


144 


demonstration of thy love in giving thine only- 
begotten Son to live and die, that he might put 
me in the way of being happy. Adored be 
thy name, blessed God ! for this inestimable 
gift : most humble and hearty thanks would 
I render thee, for the redemption of the world 
through our Lord Jesus Christ. I glorify thee, 
for his birth, life, death, resurrection, and as¬ 
cension ; for his gracious intercession at thy 
right hand, and for all the blessings of the 
Christian covenant. O grant that such distin¬ 
guished goodness may have its full effect on 
my heart. 

But what can I say to thee, O my Benefac¬ 
tor ! whose kindness I have abused ; whose 
mercies I have slighted ; whose promises 1 
have rejected, and whose judgments I have 
contemned ? I have offended against knowl¬ 
edge and conviction ; against thy most inviting 
promises, and thy most dreadful threatenings ; 
and thou seest all my sin. But O ! my Father, 
I have hope through Jesus Christ, in whom 
thou hast promised to receive true penitence 
instead of purity. In his name 1 come for 
mercy, and through him supplicate for that deep 
and unfeigned sorrow, which shall produce in 


14 5 


me every needful change and amendment of 
life. 

And now, O Lord ! with many sins to be 
repented of and forgiven, 1 come to ask for thy 
guidance and blessing in future. As I have 
much to be forgiven, may I love much, and 
ever be ready to forgive the penitent. From 
this Sabbath, may I begin to live for God and 
heaven. May doing thy will, become hence¬ 
forth my purpose and joy. Let not sin leave 
its destructive effects on my mind or heart, 
whereby the image in which I was created, 
shall be defaced ; but let me effectually shun 
that precipice, to which sin would lead me, 
and tread that path of the just, which leads to 
everlasting life. From the shame and burden 
of sin, I would turn to thee, who art my glory 
and comfort. I need thy gracious spirit; be 
thou the giver and the gift. Enstamp thy 
divine image on my soul, that I may hereafter 
be altogether thine. As my hope is in thy 
mercy, through a Redeemer, O keep me, 
through him, unto thy heavenly kingdom.— 
Bless my meditations this day, and prepare me 
for thy house. Enable me so to acquaint my¬ 
self with thee, that I may be at peace. Make 
me mindful of the uncertainty of this short life, 
13 




146 


and the certainty of that which is eternal; and 
never let me purchase the happiness of this 
world, at the expense of thy favour. Give me 
contentment and a quiet spirit; give me devout 
affections and heavenly hope ; give me patience 
and humility ; a firm faith and a prudent zeal. 
May 1 always act conformably to the light of 
my own mind, and the precepts of Christianity. 

But, my Father, I pray not for myself alone ; 
I pray for all my brethren of thy family. 
Pity those who know not thee, and have not 
heard of thy name. O may thy name be 
known over the whole earth, and thy saving 
health to all nations. May the truth, as it is 
in Jesus, enlighten every mind, and his prom¬ 
ises gladden every heart. May the ministers 
of religion be zealous and successful heralds of 
the Gospel; and may the hallowed fire of the 
altar touch and purify their lips. Bless the 
pastor of this flock, and may his labours, this 
day, be effectual for the subversion of vice, 
and the establishment of pure religion. I pray 
for my friends, and wilt thou bless them : 1 
pray for my enemies, and wilt thou forgive 
them. Let the sorrowful sighing of the afflicted 
come up before thee, for thy compassion ; and 
suffering of every kind be visited by thy mercy. 


147 


God of the morning! thou art the Author of 
the light. Thou hast caused the dayspring 
to know his place, and with gratitude I see 
the light of the sun :—I pray, that, like that 
orb, I may without weariness pursue my 
heavenly course ; and having gone through the 
duties and trials of earth, may 1, at last, ex¬ 
change them for the joys and glories of heaven. 
I ask and offer all, in that name which is above 
every name, through which he ever rendered to 
thee, immortal praises. Amen. 


Sabbath Evening Prayer for an Individual. 

O thou who hearest prayer! with childlike 
confidence I approach thee as the Being, who 
delightest in the happiness of thy creatures, and 
who art nigh to them when they call upon thee. 
In the name of my Redeemer, I come to ask 
thine audience and blessing. 

How happy have I been this day, in the priv¬ 
ilege of meeting my brethren in the house of 
worship, and of offering, with them, our united 
tribute of prayer and praise to thee, our common 
Benefactor. A day in thy courts is better than a 
thousand. I bless thy name, that another Sab- 



J 48 


bath has been afforded me, for increasing my 
knowledge of thee, and my faith in thy Son. At 
the close of this holy day I would renew my 
acknowledgments, and meditate on thy charac¬ 
ter. 

Thou, O God ! art infinite in wisdom, to 
teach ; infinite in power, to defend ; infinite in 
holiness, to sanctify ; infinite in goodness, to sup¬ 
ply the needy ; and infinite in mercy, to forgive 
the penitent. In the calmness of this hour I 
would feel thy presence, and remember that the 
darkness hideth not from thee. Thy constant 
love has continued to me the being thou gavest 
me at first, and while I live I would magnify thy 
name. 

But, O holy Father ! it is with shame I ac¬ 
knowledge my transgressions. Thou needest not 
my confession to inform thee of my guilt ; for 
thine eye hath been ever upon my path. Where¬ 
withal shall I come before a holy God ? Sighs 
and tears and promises will not answer the de¬ 
mands of thy law. I have abused the precepts of 
my Christian education, and have indulged many 
unhallowed passions. Comparing myself with 
the spotless purity of thy law, as 1 have heard it 
this day declared, 1 am wretched and miserable. 

But I remember my Saviour, and I fly to that 
covenant of grace, which he has sealed with his 


blood. Through him, God of compassion ! be 
merciful to me, a sinner; and may true contrition 
wash out all my stains. 

And now my urgent prayer is, that as thou 
hast allowed me to call thee Father, I may 
henceforth render thee the love and obedience of 
a child. I came from thee, I would therefore 
live in thee, so that I may return to thee, at last, 
in glory. Gird me with strength for thy holy 
service ; and may my knowledge of thee be ex¬ 
hibited to others by my adding to my faith a noble 
Christian courage in defence of thv truth : bv a 
constant victory over my corrupt propensities; 
by a moderate use of all lawful comforts; by a 
meek and quiet spirit under all my trials, and by 
entire resignation to thy holy will.—May I show 
my faith in the Saviour, by having my gratitude 
kindled at the view 7 of his labours and sufferings 
for me. May I read his holy Gospel with the 
spirit in which it was written ; may I be instant 
in prayer, faithful in the use of all Christian 
ordinances, and exemplary in my w hole conver¬ 
sation. Especially may I keep holy the appoint¬ 
ed Sabbath, and treasure up what I have heard 
this day, to my everlasting profit. I pray for 
purity of heart. Strengthen me to preserve 
blameless my soul and body, and never let 
me gratify any propensity, but for the noble 
13 * 


150 


purposes for which thou didst implant it. 
Knowing how difficult it is to escape from evil 
tempers and indulgences, O give me courage 
to vanquish them, by resistance at first. Let 
thy spirit be my perpetual monitor, that I may 
be secure against every assault. 

O my Father ! 1 ask to be useful to those around 
me. Give me industry, temperance, and gentle¬ 
ness. If I cannot assist the needy by my alms, 
or deliver the oppressed by my power, O let me 
diligently exercise love in abstaining from all 
uncharitableness of speech, and from all fro- 
wardness of temper. May I look upon the fail¬ 
ings of others with pity ; and be as ready to 
forgive my brethren, as thou art ready, through 
Jesus Christ, to forgive me. 

God of the nations! bless the whole family 
of man ; and may rulers and ruled be instrumen¬ 
tal in thy hand, of enlarging the Redeemer’s 
kingdom, and promoting ihe final reign of truth 
and righteousness. Strengthen the hand that is 
extended to present the Gospel to the heathens ; 
and may the happy time soon come, when the 
fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in, and 
all Israel shall be saved ; when the knowledge of 
the Lord shall fill the earth, as the waters fill the 
channels of the deep. 


151 


Wilt thou smile upon the family in which 1 
live ; upon the religious society with which I 
worship, and upon thy servant, our beloved 
Pastor. May he be eminently successful in his 
pious labours; and receive, at last, the joyous 
approval—Well done, good and faithful servant. 
I pray thee to reward my benefactors, and to 
forgive my enemies ; be thou a present help to 
all who are in trouble ; heal any who are sick ; 
comfort those who mourn ; supply the wants of 
the needy; be the God and husband ,of the wid¬ 
ow, and the Father of the fatherless 

My heavenly Protector ! I again depend on 
thy watchful care, for another night. Keep me 
in safety during this season ; and when the first 
rays of morning shall visit my waking eyes, then 
wilt thou lift upon me the light of thy counte¬ 
nance. I offer my prayer to thy sacred majesty, 
in the name of my Saviour and Redeemer, 
through whom, to thee, be all honour and glory 
forever. Amen. 


Morning Prayer for a Communicant . 

(Before the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.; 

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 
I adore thine unspeakable goodness in raising up 



152 


this Deliverer from sin and death, for a benight¬ 
ed and guilty world. I praise thee for the spiritual 
and heavenly blessings which thou hast bestow¬ 
ed on me through his mediation, sufferings, and 
resurrection. What gracious instruction flowed 
from his tongue ! What spotless purity marked 
his life! What love and zeal filled his heart! 
With what patience and kindness did he seek 
those that were lost! What astonishing miracles 
attested his mission! What benevolence was 
exhibited in his painful death on the cross! 
How triumphantly did he conquer the grave and 
ascend to thy throne in heaven ! Indulgent God, 
how complete is his redemption, how attracting 
and transporting the thought of his compassion 
and victory ! What light, what comfort, what 
encouragement, what hope can I need, which the 
Gospel of Christ does not abundantly supply ? 

O thou who seest in secret, I confess I am un¬ 
worthy of my Christian privileges, and that I 
have not adorned my profession, as I might, by 
a holy walk and conversation. In condemning 
myself, I feel I must be condemned by thee. 
Spare me, O Father, through him that died for 
me. Through thine infinite goodness, in Jesus 
Christ, remember not my sins ; but give me that 
true repentance which is unto life. 


153 


To clay thou invitest me to fhe memorial of my 
Saviour’s dying love. May I keep this Christian 
passover with the unleavened bread of sincerity 
and truth. May I regard the Supper as a means, 
not as an end. May I hear the invitation of Jesus, 
and go to his table with lively faith and pure 
gratitude. May 1 appear there in the wedding 
garments that are required. Eating the bread 
and drinking the cup, as emblems of his body 
and blood, may I embrace the covenant of mercy 
and find redemption through him. O let the re¬ 
membrance of his love, his sufferings, his death, 
and his glory, comfort, support, and strengthen 
me, in life and death. Heavenly Father, be thou 
with thy servant who ministers in the sanctuary; 
with my fellow-communicants, and with all my 
Christian brethren. Dispose all who encircle 
thine altar, to feel and act as friends, partakers 
of the same grace, and heirs of the same blissful 
inheritance, through Jesus Christ our Saviour* 
Amen. 


Evening Prayer for a Communicant . 


(After the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.) 


Father of mercies, and God of love: Thou 
hast caused thy gooduess to pass before me this 



day. Follow with thy blessing what I have 
been permitted and enabled to perform in obedi¬ 
ence to the injunction oi thy Son. If my affec¬ 
tions have gone forth toward thee in warm devo¬ 
tion ; and if the death and sufferings of my Re¬ 
deemer have produced proper reflections and 
awakened proper purposes, to thee be the praise. 
I thank thee that I have this day sat down with 
my brethren at tire table of the Lord, and remem¬ 
bered my absent Saviour in the sacred and impress¬ 
ive rite in which he desired to be remembered, 
I have received the cup of blessing, given me by 
thy hand of mercy. I have renewed my vows, 
acknowledging thee to be my God, and Jesus to 
be my Saviour. And now, with heartfelt earn¬ 
estness, I pray thee to preserve me from being 
unfaithful by not holding fast a good conscience. 
Help me to follow my Saviour wheresoever he 
would lead me ; to abide in him as the true vine ; 
and to stand hist in the liberty, wherewith he 
makes his disciples free. May his love for me, 
which was stronger than death, constrain me to 
love him in return. Enable me at all times to 
remember his new command, that we should love 
one another, even as he loved us, O raise my 
affections from earth to heaven, and assist me to 
be steadfast and immoveable, always abounding 
in the work of the Lord. May I regard the 


155 


world, as an object that I am soon to give up 
forever ; and may I therefore set my affections 
on things eternal. 

I thank thee for the privilege I have this day 
enjoyed. May I come with boldness to thy 
throne of grace in my Saviour’s name, and may 
his peace keep my heart in every changing 
scene. Grant me to be his true disciple; tri¬ 
umphing in this, that my Lord, who was once 
dead, lives and reigns forever, and has gone to 
prepare mansions for those who love him. 

Once more, O thou Parent of all, I implore 
thy blessing upon thy church universal, and upon 
the whole human family. Comfort every sor¬ 
rowful soul. Bring into the way of truth all 
such as have erred and are deceived. Bring 
the wickedness of the wicked to an end. May 
truth, and righteousness, and peace, gladden the 
whole earth. Let thy grace he multiplied upon 
the religious society of which 1 am a member, 
and upon the pastor of the flock. Let all with 
whom I am connected, and who are dear to me, 
be enrolled in the hook of life. Hear me, O 
Father, through him, whose doctrine was that 
bread which came down from heaven ; guide 
me safely through my earthly pilgrimage, and 
at last receive me to thyself in glory. Amen. 


i 


156 


Prayer after entering a Church . 

O thou, whom we have assembled to worship ! 
Infinite God ! may I remember that this is none 
other than the house of God, and that this is the 
gate of heaven. Assist me, O Lord, and accept 
my services. May I worship thee in spirit aud 
in truth. Wilt thou aid him who is to lead in 
our devotions; and dispose my heart to serious¬ 
ness, attention, and reverence. Grant that I 
may improve this opportunity to the honour of 
thy holy name, and the benefit of my soul, 
through Jesus Christ my Saviour. Amen. 


Prayer at Church after the Services are ended . 

Blessed be thy name, O Lord, for this op¬ 
portunity of attending thee, in thy house and 
service. Grant that 1, and all who profess thy 
name, may be doers of thy word, and not hearers 
only. Pardon our wanderings and imperfec¬ 
tions ; and accept us in our services, through 
our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 





157 


Prayer for an Aged Person . 

O thou great Author and Supporter of life! 
thou art the same from everlasting to everlast¬ 
ing ; in thy duration there is no succession, one 
day being with the Lord as a thousand years, 
and a thousand years as one day! Thou hast 
been the Refuge of thy children in every age! 
To thee I would raise my soul with thanksgiving 
and supplication. Thou hast maintained my frail 
existence, through many years, and crowned 
its successive periods with thy mercy. Where 
should I begin, or where should I cease, if I 
would enumerate the favours which thy hand 
has bestowed on me! With what incessant 
kindness hast thou supplied the wants both of 
my soul and body, opened to me many sources 
of satisfaction, shielded me from dangers and 
calamities, consoled and sustained me under 
trials and distresses, and conducted my feet in 
the path of peace! What gratitude do 1 owe to 
thee, especially for the light and assistance of 
thy holy Gospel; for its precious promises and 
animating hopes, and for the many opportunities 
and means of improvement which I have en¬ 
joyed !—Hitherto thou hast led and supported 
me ; and my only trust is in thy sure and never 
failing mercy. 


14 


158 


Heavenly Father ! I confess to thee my many 
errors and transgressions, with sorrow and re- 
pentance. Of thine infinite goodness forgive 
whatever I have thought or said or done amiss 
in the long course of my pilgrimage. Let my 
hoary head be found in the way of righteousness. 
Whatever I may have neglected, whatever re¬ 
mains to be done, assist me to perform immedi¬ 
ately with conscientious fidelity. If I have 
injured any, enable me to discover it, that I may 
make due reparation, and be at peace with all 
men, before I go hence. O Lord! sanctify my 
mind, correct my passions, and preserve me from 
every sin to which 1 am exposed. Save me 
from a selfish, censorious, severe, impatient, and 
dissatisfied temper. Teach me to be thankful 
to those who contribute to my ease and comfort, 
to rejoice in the happiness of all around me, and 
with a friendly spirit to instruct and admonish 
the rising generation. Help me especially to 
render the religion of thy Son attractive and 
venerable in their estimation, by setting them 
an example of cheerful piety, and by entertaining 
a holy confidence in thy providence and grace. 

God of compassion ; my strength is now often 
labour and sorrow, and I shall soon go down to 
the grave. Forsake me not, I beseech thee; 
cast me not off in the time of my old age. Let 


159 


my affections be fixed upon the things which 
are above ; let the prospect of heaven support 
me in every hour of suffering ; and when my 
heart and flesh fail, be thou the strength of my 
heart, and my portion forever, through Jesus 
Christ, my Saviour. Amen. 


Prayer for a Person in Middle Life . 

Father of lights, and Source of being! I bless 
thee for conscious existence; for the rank 
allotted me among the works of thine hands ;— 
for my intellectual and moral powers, for all my 
capacities of enjoyment, and for all that variety 
of objects around me adapted to their nature 
and improvement. I bless thee, the Father 
of knowledge, for all the assistance in the pursuit 
of science and virtue, which thou hast afforded 
me, through the channel of friends, teachers, 
books, or conversation. Most of all, I bless 
thee, for the light, consolation, and hope, which 
thou hast put it into my power to obtain, by the 
careful study of the holy Scriptures; by serious 
meditation on their important doctrines and dis¬ 
coveries, and by an impartial and diligent use of 
them in the regulation of my faith, temper, and 
practice* O may I show forth my gratitude for 



160 


these many favours, by devoting my powers to 
thy service. 

Gracious God! thou hast brought me to 
this period of life, when my strength is upon me, 
and when I am able to make the greatest 
exertions. Wilt thou teach me the duties which 
this season requires. Forbid, great God, that 
I should misapply or trifle with any portion of 
that precious time, for the use of which I am 
accountable at thy bar. May I regard my time 
and all my opportunities, as talents which thou 
hast lent me. May I remember that the obliga¬ 
tion and the ability to do good are of equal 
extent; and wilt thou graciously dispose me to 
fulfil this measure of my duty. 

God of w isdom,.enlighten my understanding 
to discern the great objects of existence.—O let 
me never weakly imagine, that thou hast placed 
me so high in the scale of being, only to enjoy 
the fleeting gratifications of the body. May I 
seek a happiness more exalted and durable, more 
pure and refined; a happiness, flowing from 
obedient appetites, w r ell regulated affections, in¬ 
creasing knowledge, the exercise of piety and 
benevolence, and the w ell grounded hope of thine 
approbation and favour.—While my thoughts 
are engaged in the things of earth, may I reserve 
my affections for what is pure, ennobling, and 
heavenly. 


161 


Pardon, O Father, the many sins I have com¬ 
mitted. I have indulged passions which are 
offensive in thy sight. I have wasted many 
hours, and have not always placed thee before 
me. Pardon, through the Saviour, these viola¬ 
tions of thy law; and O! enable me hereafter 
to live wisely. May l be more industrious, 
thoughtful, and decided; have a more tender 
regard to those who depend on me for aid, sup¬ 
port, or counsel ; have more philanthropy, more 
piety, more true devotion, and more religious 
zeal. Keep me from idle amusements, and 
vicious company. Arm my soul against the 
thousand temptations which beset me, and when¬ 
ever I act, may 1 do good. 

I now give up myself, O God, to thee. I ask 
thy power to strengthen my weakness; thy 
wisdom to direct my ignorance ; thy bounty to 
supply my wants, and thy mercy to pardon my 
numerous sins. Go with me through this world 
of danger. May I perform my part well, and 
at the close of life have the testimony of my 
conscience, that in simplicity and in godly sin/- 
cerity, not by fleshly wisdom, but by the grace 
of God, I have had my conversation in the world. 
Hear me, holy Father, through my Saviour and 
Redeemer. Amen. 

14 * 


162 


Prayer for a Person in Active Business > 

Righteous and merciful art thou, O Lord, 
in the ordination, that by the sweat of our brow 
we should eat bread. Thou hast created all 
beings, that they might enjoy their existence; 
and thy wisdom is manifest in every provision 
for their welfare. Thou lookest upon the earth, 
and til lest it with blessings for them. 

Thou art calling all to activity and labour, 
that they may be useful to each other, and be 
preserved from the evils of idleness and vice. 
It was the Saviour’s meat and drink to do thy 
will, and to finish his appointed work. Merci¬ 
ful God ! let me not esteem it a burden, that I 
am called to activity and solicitude. 1 ask thy 
divine grace to give me faithfulness and alacrity 
in the duties of my employment. As I am fixed 
in business, not for my own private interest alone, 
but for the good of society, O ! implant and 
increase within me a principle of truth and good 
will towards all men, that i may always abhor 
the thought of enriching myself, by the gains of 
secret fraud or base ambition. Keep in me a 
conscientious regard to that great principle of 
doing to others, as I would they should do to me. 
May I never forget that the wages of unright¬ 
eousness, bring down thy quick displeasure, and 



163 


that the prosperity of the wicked shall destroy 
them. Amidst undue eagerness for wealth, wilt 
thou sound in my ears that momentous question, 
—What is a man profited, if he shall gain the 
whole world, and lose his own soul ? Save me 
from the snares of covetousness, and may I re¬ 
member, that the day is approaching in which 
earthly riches cannot profit me. O grant, that 
amidst all my pursuits, I may preserve a supreme 
regard to the one thing, which is most needful; 
and secure that better part which can never be 
taken away. To this end, O God ! I ask the 
guidance of thy gracious spirit; and while my 
thoughts are steadily fixed on earthly objects, 
may I be careful to reserve my affections for 
what is pure and heavenly. Knowing the ten¬ 
dency of the world to extinguish all sense of 
spiritual blessings, may I maintain such constant 
suspicion of these earth-born passions, as shall 
keep me from every inordinate pursuit of tempo¬ 
ral good. May the law of truth be written on 
my heart, so that iniquity shall never be found 
in my mouth. 

If my means increase, grant me a liberal hand 
to the poor and needy; and may I use what 
thou impartest, with temperance, gratitude, and 
charity. May I do much to promote good learn¬ 
ing and pure religion ; and by benefiting society 


164 


may I prove that thou hast not blessed me in 
vain. 

Giver of every good ! I ask thy smiles upon 
my labours and pursuits. May 1 be prospered 
in all my lawful undertakings; and by fidelity 
and prudence, by industry and benevolence, 
may I do honour to the religion 1 profess, and at 
last receive those higher rewards, which earth 
cannot bestow. In the name of him who died 
to redeem us from the power of this evil world, 
I offer this my prayer, ascribing to thee, the 
Disposer of my condition, praise everlasting. 
Amen. 


Prayer for a Parent . 

Almighty God, Creator of men ! from thee 
come our choicest gifts. Thou hast bestowed 
on me children, and inspired my heart with the 
most ardent affection for them. Thou hast com¬ 
mitted them to my care, and commanded me to 
educate them as Christians, as intelligent and 
immortal beings. O make me fully sensible, I 
entreat thee, of the solemnity and importance of 
this charge ; and give me thy gracious assistance, 
that I may train up my offspring in the way in 
which they should go. Enable me to entertain 



165 


abiding convictions of the value of good instruc¬ 
tions, and the necessity of early religious impres¬ 
sions. Enlighten and direct me in the choice of 
proper means for cultivating pious and virtuous 
principles in their tender minds. Make me con¬ 
stant and faithful in sowing in their hearts the 
incorruptible seed of divine truth, that they may 
love religion early, and early walk with God. 
Increase my solicitude to set before them the pat¬ 
tern of a holy and good life ; and never suffer me 
to forget, that what I say and do cannot fail to in¬ 
fluence the formation of their temper and character. 
I pray to be preserved from the extremes of angry 
impatience and undue severity, and of excessive 
indulgence and misguided fondness. Direct me 
to the most rational and salutary expressions of 
my love to them ; and help me to adapt my con¬ 
duct to their several dispositions. And while I 
study to bring them forward on the stage of 
action, with those advantages which are suitable 
to their situation, let me always remember, that 
the care of the soul is the one thing needful, and 
let it be my highest concern to prepare them for 
eternity and heaven. 

Gracious God ! save me, I pray thee, from 
the most grievous calamity which parents can 
feel; that of beholding their children vicious and 
miserable. O protect and bless those for whom 


166 


my heart beats with the tenderest anxiety ; and 
let them never be led astray by wicked principle, 
or seductive examples. Whatever thou mayest 
deny me, grant that I my see them walking in 
the truth, adorned with innocence, piety, and 
virtue. Vouchsafe to forgive any errors in my 
conduct towards them, and to supply all my 
deficiencies. When I shall be removed hence, 
let me die with the consciousness that I have not 
wilfully neglected my duty to them. And in 
the great day of resurrection and judgment, 
grant that we may be found together before thy 
throne, and that I may be enabled to say—Here 
am 1, O Lord, and the children which thou hast 
given me. 

1 offer my requests in the name of Jesus 
Christ, my Lord and Saviour. Amen. 


Morning Prayer for a Child . 

Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth! 
my Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor. Early 
will I seek and praise and love thee. In- the 
hours of sleep, when I could not defend myself, 
thou hast defended me. Thou hast brouo'ht me 
to this morning in health, and l will now show 
forth thy praise. I thank thee for all the powers 





167 


of my body, and for all the faculties of my mind. 
My present blessings are more than I can num¬ 
ber, and more than I have deserved. I have 
sinned against thee; for I have left undone 
many things which I ought to have done, and 
have done many things that I ought not to have 
done. As thou hast promised to forgive me 
through Jesus Christ, if I am heartily sorry, 
I anxiously pray thee to look in mercy on my 
sins, and enable me to do better in future. O 
make me sensible of the importance of forming 
right habits on my entrance into life; and 
enable me to keep a constant guard over my 
thoughts, my feelings, my words, and my actions. 
May I remember that thine eye is always direct¬ 
ly upon me. Help me to gain good learning ; 
so that when the aged, the wise, and the virtu¬ 
ous leave the world, I may be prepared to fill 
their places, and to be useful in society. May I 
remember how much the happiness of my friends 
depends on my good conduct, and may I be all 
that my parents and instructed wish me. Assist 
me to live as thy obedient child, and to be a 
Christian in spirit and in deed. O God ! 1 look 
to thee for guidance and assistance this day and 
every day of my future life, and when I die, 
may I be received into thy heavenly kingdom, 
through Jesus Christ, my Saviour. Amen. 


16 a 


Evening Prayer for a Child . 

O Lord, my heavenly Father! I thank thee 
that thou hast added another day to my life ; 
and hast not suffered any evil to befall me. I 
praise thy name for the food which thou hast 
given me; for the raiment with which I am cloth¬ 
ed, and for all the kindness of my parents and 
friends to me. Thy mercies, O God, are as 
many as the moments of my life. Especially I 
thank thee, that thou hast taught me, through 
Jesus Christ, what I ought to know and do, in 
order to be useful here, and happy hereafter. O 
my Father ! guide my inexperienced feet. As I 
grow in years may I, like the holy child Jesus, 
increase in wisdom and in favour with thee and 
man. May I be industrious, so that I may be 
useful; and virtuous, so that I may be happy. 
I pray that I may avoid bad company ; and seek 
continually to please thee. May I remember that 
thou art with me wherever I am, and that thou 
seest me in all I do. I woidd now recollect 
what I have done this day ; and if I have said or 
done any thing, contrary to thy holy will, I pray 
thee to forgive me. Bless my dear parents, my 
relations, my teachers and friends, and all my 
fellow men. 1 desire to give up myself to thee 


169 

for this night, and wilt thou defend me from 
every harm, and may I awake in the morning, 
prepared to serve thee better than I have ever 
served thee before. Hear me, O God, in these 
my prayers, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 


The Seaman’s Prayer . 

O thou, who stillest the raging of the sea, 
and the noise of its waves! All powerful God ! 
I lift up mine eyes to thee, from whom cometh 
my help! Thou holdest the winds, and at thy 
command they go forth. Thou art God of the 
sea. Preserve and support me, I beseech thee, 
during my exposure on the deep. While I 
am thus dependant on thee, do thou be with 
me for my safety. Let me not utter thy name, 
but with the greatest reverence; nor forget, 
that to thee I owe my security, and that thou 
holdest my soul in life. Fortify me in the 
seasons of peril; not by blind courage, but by 
an unbounded confidence in thy care and good¬ 
ness. Let it please thee to give success to my 
undertakings; to conduct me safely to my de¬ 
sired haven, and return me to my family and 
friends with gratitude for thy sustaining provi¬ 
dence. Impress deeply upon my mind the value 




170 


of those domestic ties which bind me to my 
relatives and family.—May their constant solici¬ 
tude and anxious prayers for me, produce serious 
effects on my mind. May I be induced to 
improve wisely the many leisure hours I enjoy; 
and gain some useful knowledge for my future 
life. Especially, O God, let me be thoughtful 
of the Sabbath day to keep it holy ; and as I am 
here deprived of public worship, may I read thy 
sacred word-with seriousness, and meditate upon 
it with devout prayer. Enable me, O Father, to 
have a strong faith in him, who rebuked the 
winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 
May I ever say to my tempestuous passions— 
Peace, be still—and look forward toward the 
haven of eternal rest. And when the sea shall 
give up its dead, and each one be called to 
judgment, then may I find my name written in 
the book of life, through Jesus Christ, my 
Redeemer. Amen. 


For a Sick Person . 

Almighty and most merciful God! who 
hatest nothing that thou hast made and who 
hast not thought even a crown of everlasting life 
too much to promise to thy children! I desire 



171 


humbly to own and reverence thy hand in my 
present sickness. All the causes which can ope¬ 
rate upon me, are in thy hand, as the ministers 
of thy pleasure. I repose entire confidence in 
thy wisdom. May my bodily suffering bring 
good to my soul, and lead me more justly to 
value health and strength, and to employ them 
to nobler purposes than I have done, if this 
sickness shall not be unto death. Let me 
take that view of life from my sick bed, which 
can be taken from no other place. With sub¬ 
mission to thy will, I pray for the removal of my 
disorder, and for the perfect restoration of my 
health. Thy will, O God, and not mine, be 
done. Endue me with resignation, patience, and 
meekness, under the pains of disease and the 
irksomeness of confinement. Above all, prepare 
me for death. Blot out my numerous transgress¬ 
ions through thine infinite mercy in Jesus Christ, 
and dispose me to do what is necessary for the 
great exchange of worlds. Thou dost not wil¬ 
lingly afflict or grieve thy children, and I believe 
thou intendest good to me by this fatherly correc¬ 
tion. May I yet live to perform my duties more 
acceptably. May no increase of pain produce 
repining, or draw from me an inconsiderate 
prayer. Into thy hands I commend myself, de¬ 
siring to be numbered with those who love thee, 


172 


and to find by experience all things, and this 
sickness especially, working my spiritual good. 
Help me to finish, While I live, the work thou 
hast given me to do. If 1 have injured any, I 
would be truly penitent, and when I die, may I 
be at peace with all men. O may I at this time, 
whatever the issue of this sickness may be, fix 
my heart steadfastly upon thee, and have a lively 
faith in that blessed Saviour, who led the way 
through the grave to the immortality beyond it. 
Through the wilderness of this world, let me 
ever bless thee for the manna and the rock. On 
the brink of Jordan let thy promises be precious. 
In the last hour let my faith in a Redeemer be 
strong, and grant me to ascend into thy bliss¬ 
ful presence in the chariot of love and praise. 
O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive ! Be my God 
in life, my hope in death, and my everlasting 
portion, through Jesus my Saviour. Amen. 


After Recovery from severe Sickness . 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is 
within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, 
O my soul, and forget not all his benefits : who 
forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all 
thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from de- 



173 


struction, and who crowneth thee with loving 
kindness and tender mercy. I praise thee, great 
God, that, although thou hast chastened me, 
thou hast not given me over unto death. 1 praise 
thee, that thy powerful arm has arrested the 
progress of the destroyer, and helped me out of 
all my troubles. I thank thee for every comfort 
and alleviation of pain, with which thou hast 
been pleased to furnish me, and especially for 
the love of my friends, and the promises of thy 
Gospel. I acknowledge thine inexpressible good¬ 
ness in restoring me from the brink of the grave 
and from the anguish of suffering, to endeared 
connexions, to enlivened hopes, to new opportu¬ 
nities, and to increased motives for cultivating 
Christian affections, for abounding in good works, 
and for laying up treasures in heaven. 

O Father! let not these opportunities be neg¬ 
lected by me, but be wisely improved to thy 
glory. 

J have experienced thy power and compassion. 
May I ever live in the exercise of a grateful 
confidence in both, and be duly sensible of my 
total dependence on thy providence and govern¬ 
ment. I have been brought near to the realities 
of the world to come ; brought to feel the worth 
of thy favour, and the value of a conscience void 
of offence. Almighty God! let the convictions 
15 * 


174 


I have had of them never be extinguished in my 
heart. Enable me at all times to entertain that 
humble contrition for my sins, and that peniten¬ 
tial sense of my need of thy mercy, which the 
nearness of death was instrumental in producing. 
Help me to appreciate, as I ought, eternal things, 
and to do all that thou requirest, in order that 
I may secure thine approbation and friendship. 
May the resolutions I formed, when sick, now 
be effectual. 

Thou hast enabled me to realize the vanity 
and uncertainty of the world. Preserve me 
from attaching too much importance to its 
pleasures, honours, or possessions; and assist 
me constantly to remember how rapidly it is 
passing away. 

Thou hast taught me by sickness the worth of 
friendship ; and the offices of kindness, which 
have been performed for me, have, with thy 
blessing, cheered, consoled, and supported me. 
My God ! never let me be insensible of the love 
of those, whose hearts thou hast warmed with 
good will towards me. Make me ready to 
return their benevolence on every occasion. Let 
me be softened with humanity towards all that 
suffer; and let me never behold the bed of sick¬ 
ness, without sympathy and charity. 


175 


It was thy Gospel, O thou God of all consola¬ 
tion in Jesus Christ, from w hich my hope was 
derived, when the shadows of death appeared to 
encompass me. The assurances which it con¬ 
tains of thy forbearance and mercy, and of eternal 
redemption through thy Son, were the only sup¬ 
port of my spirit. O give me grace to cling, 
with faster hold than ever, to this Rock of salva¬ 
tion, to abide in the love of Jesus, to follow him 
undismayed, and constantly to hope through him 
for justification and celestial happiness. 

Preserver of my being ! thou hast now shown 
me how frail I am ; hast given me a striking 
proof of the precariousness of life ; and 1 know 7 , 
that ere long I shall bid farewell to all whom I 
now behold. O may I be prepared for that 
sickness, from which 1 shall not recover. May 
I walk by faith and not by sight. May I be 
concerned to be always ready, and to be found 
in that frame of mind, which will enable me to 
welcome death as the messenger of peace. 

Holy Father! hear my prayers, I beseech 
thee ; forgive my sins, and make me thine for 
evermore, through him who was made perfect by 
suffering. Amen. 


176 


After the Death of a Parent. 

O thou, in whose sight we all are children ! 
thou livest for ever and ever ! But unto us thou 
hast said, Dust ye are, and unto dust ye shall re¬ 
turn. Eternal God, I would adore thee in all 
thy doings. Even when thou causest trouble 
and heaviness to fall upon me, it is that I may 
learn righteousness from thy judgments, and re¬ 
ceive profit from thy correction. Thou art now 
calling me to drink very deeply of the cup of 
sorrow. The fond parent thou gavest me for 
my guidance, my instruction, my support and 
comfort, thou hast now taken away, and left me 
without the protection I have always felt. The 
places which once knew, are to know my parent 
no longer. The voice which spoke wisdom to 
my early days, and guided my inexperienced 
feet, I am to hear no more. O God most holy! 
believing thou knovvest when it is best to call 
thy creatures to thyself, I would exercise an 
entire submission. Give me the oil of joy for 
mourning, and the garment of praise for the 
spirit of heaviness. In the midst of my grief 
may the spirit of Christ possess my soul. Sanc¬ 
tify to me this severe affliction; and enable me 
to treasure up the sacred words of counsel which 


177 


my parent gave me. Grant me strength to 
follow every good example which was placed 
before me ; and often to call to mind the un¬ 
wearied exertions which were made to promote 
my welfare. O God, when I have completed 
my days on earth, I urgently pray to be united 
with this parent in thy heavenly family. Hear 
me in my affliction, and comfort me through 
Jesus Christ, my Redeemer. Amen. 


After the Death of a Husband or Wife . 

O thou, whose ways are to us inscrutable l 
great, eternal God! Thou givest and thou 
takest away. Thou liftest up and thou vastest 
down. Thou art God alone—infinitely wise 
and infinitely good. Thou seest the end from 
the beginning, and in thy purposes of love thou 
canst not err. Thou hast taken from me the 
chosen partner of my life ; the object of my 
most affectionate regards ; my support and com¬ 
fort under the labours and anxieties of this mortal 
state. O God, by what painful experience art 
thou teaching me the instability of all earthly 
enjoyments ! But I would not murmur at thy 
dealings, believing that thy chastise ments are 
chastisements of love; and that by all these 



178 


things, thou art intending to do me good. God 
forbid, that my present grief should render me 
unmindful of thy past goodness. I desire to 
repose myself under the care of thy providence, 
assured that I cannot be destitute, while thou 
art my helper; or miserable, having thee for my 
portion. Whatever outward blessings thou shalt 
see fit to deny me, O deny me not the comfort 
of thy love. Provide me with friends to assist 
me in my deserted condition ; and give me grace 
to behave with propriety in all my relations. 
O God, wilt thou be my friend, my father, my 
life, my health, my rest, and my joy. Under 
thy chastisements, I desire to submit to thy 
directions; to refer to thee my actions, and 
to resign into thine hands all my interests in time 
and eternity; through Jesus Christ our Lord* 
Amen. 


After the Death of a Brother or Sister. 

Sovereign Disposer of all events! 1 come 
into thy presence with the voice of grief; I come 
to thee as my Father, and wilt thou hear me as 
thy child. Tlhou hast taken from me one, in 
whom I was comforted, who shared with me the 
joys of early life, and who experienced with me 



179 


the kindness of affectionate parents. Thou hast 
strikingly taught me, that the tenderest friend¬ 
ship has no power to retain the departing spirit. 
But, O God, I desire to bow in humble resigna¬ 
tion to thine appointment, and read the solemn 
lesson thou wouldst teach me. The Lord gave 
and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the 
name of the Lord. Give me that composure 
of spirit, which shall enable me to receive the 
consolations of religion ; for I well know how 
dark soever this night of affliction seems, if thou 
sayest,—Let there be light, there shall be light. 
Gracious Monitor, prepare me to follow this 
departed friend of my bosom. O may I be made 
wiser and holier by thy dealings with me. 
Sooth my sorrows by the comforting words of 
Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the 
life. Like him may I bear what thy wisdom 
shall see fit to ordain; and in all my afflictions, 
however severe, be able to say, Not my will, O 
God, but thine be done. Now unto thee, the 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died that 
we might live, and who wept that we might 
rejoice, be glory forever. Amen. 


180 


After the Death of a Child . 

O thou, who hast appointed unto all once to 
die, and who alone knowest what is really best 
for me ! I fly to thee, beseeching thee to sanctify 
to me the bereavement, which fills my heart 
with grief. Thou hast united me to the objects 
of my innocent affection, by the tenderest ties ; 
and I bless thee that thou wast pleased to give 
me my departed child, and to bestow on me the 
satisfactions and joys, which a parent feels. 
Thou hast, by the arrow of death, taken away 
from me this beloved being ; and I would bow 
with resignation to thy sovereign appointment. 
I commit its body to the grave, and its soul to 
thy infinite mercy : and I rejoice and thank thee 
that our Lord Jesus Christ has declared, Suffer 
little children to come unto me, and forbid them 
not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 

Compassionate Father! console my sorrows, 
1 pray thee, and prevent me from despising thy 
chastenings, or fainting under thy rebuke. Teach 
me more perfectly to do and suffer thy will, and 
to draw instruction from the adversities I expe¬ 
rience. May 1 hear the voice of Providence, 
saying to me,—What I do thou knowest not 
now, but thou shalt know hereafter. I would 


18 i 


piously wait the great explanation. May 1 wil¬ 
lingly give up my child from these arms below 
into the arms of a better Parent above. Affect 
me with just convictions of the vanity of human 
life, and the uncertainty of earthly comforts. 
Dispose me to work out my own salvation with 
fear and trembling, and to give the most serious 
attention to the religious instruction and im¬ 
provement of those whom thou hast preserved 
to me. Instead of attempting fully to explain 
the unsearchable mysteries of thy government, 
may my heart rest assured, that all things shall 
work together for good to them that love thee: 
and may I steadily look forward to tiie resurrec¬ 
tion of the just, and the reunion of those who 
die in the Lord, through our exalted Saviour and 
Redeemer. Amen. 


Prayer by Sir W. Jones . 

Eteunal, incomprehensible Mind, who, by 
thy boundless power, before time began, cre- 
atedst innumerable worlds for thy glory and 
i innumerable orders of beings for their happiness; 
, which thine infinite goodness prompted thee to 
| desire^ and thy infinite wisdom enabled thee to 
16 



182 


know ! We thy creatures vanish into nothing, 
before thy supreme Majesty ; we hourly feel our 
weakness ; we daily bewail our vices ; we con¬ 
tinually acknowledge our folly. Thee only we 
adore with aw T ful veneration; thee we thank 
with the most fervent zeal; thee we praise with 
astonishment and rapture; to thy power we 
humbly submit; of thy goodness we devoutly 
implore protection ; on thy wisdom we firmly 
and cheerfully rely. We do but open our eyes, 
and instantly we perceive thy divine existence; 
we do but exert our reason, and in a moment 
we discover thy divine attributes; but our eyes 
could not behold thy splendour, nor could our 
minds comprehend thy divine essence; we see 
thee only through thy stupendous and all-perfect 
works ; we know thee only by that ray of sacred 
light, which it has pleased thee to reveal through 
Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, if creatures too 
ignorant to conceive and too depraved to pursue 
the means of their own happiness, may, without 
presumption, express their wants to their Creator, 
let us humbly supplicate thee to remove from 
us that evil, which thou hast permitted for a 
time to exist, that the ultimate good of all may 
be complete ; and to secure us from that vice, 
which thou stiffen st to spread snares around us, 
that the triumph of virtue may be more conspic- 


183 


uous. Irradiate our minds with all useful truth ; 
instil into our hearts a spirit of general benevo¬ 
lence ; give understanding to the foolish ; meek¬ 
ness to the proud ; temperance to the dissolute; 
fortitude to the feeble-hearted; hope to the 
desponding; faith to the unbelieving; diligence 
to the slothful ; patience to those who are in 
pain, and thy celestial aid to those who are in 
danger :—comfort the afflicted ; relieve the dis¬ 
tressed ; supply the hungry with salutary food ; 
and the thirsty with a plenteous stream. Impute 
not our doubts to indifference, nor our slowness 
of belief to hardness of heart; but be indulgent 
to our imperfect nature ; and supply our imperfee 
tions by thy heavenly favour. Suffer not, we 
anxiously pray, suffer not oppression to prevail 
over innocence, nor the might of the avenger 
over the weakness of the just. Whenever we 
address thee in our retirement from the vanities 
of the world, if our prayers are foolish, pity us; 
if presumptuous, pardon us; if acceptable to 
thee, grant them, all powerful God, grant them; 
and, as with our living voice, and with our dying 
lips, we will express our submission to thy de- 
| crees, adore thy providence, and bless thy dis¬ 
pensations, so in all future stales, to which we 
reverently hope thy goodness will raise us, grant 
that we nuiy continue praising, admiring, vene- 



184 


rating, worshipping thee more and more, through 
worlds without number and ages without end. 
Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy 
name ; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on 
earth as it is in heaven. (live us this day our 
daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as 
we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead 
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; 
for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the 
glory forever. Amen. 


Prince Eugene’s Prayer . 

I believe in thee, O my God! do thou 
strengthen my faith: I hope in thee, confirm my 
hopes: l love thee, inflame my love more and 
more: I repent of all my sins, but do thou 
increase my repentance ! As my first beginnings 
I worship thee ; as my last end, I long for thee : 
as my Eternal Benefactor, I praise thee; as my 
Supreme Protector, I pray unto thee; that it 
may please tflee, O Lord, to guide and lead me 
by thy providence, to keep me in obedience to 
thy justice; to comfort me by thy mercy, and 
to protect me by thy almighty power. I submit 
unto thee all my thoughts, words, and actions, 
as well as my afflictions, pains, and sufferings; 



and 1 desire to have thee always in my mind, to 
do all my works in thy name, and for thy sake 
to bear all adversity with patience. I will noth¬ 
ing but what thou wiliest, O God, because it 
is agreeable unto thee. O give me grace tiiat 
I may be attentive in my prayer, temperate in 
my diet, vigilant in my conduct, and unmoveable 
in all good purposes. Grant, most merciful 
Lord, that I may be true and faithful to those 
that have entrusted me with their secrets; that 
I may be courteous and kind toward all men, 
and that both in my words and actions, 1 may 
show unto them a good example. Dispose my 
heart to admire and praise thy goodness, to hate 
all errors and evil works, to love my neighbour, 
and to improve the world. Assist me, good 
God, in subduing lust bv mortification, covetous¬ 
ness by liberality, anger by mildness, and luke¬ 
warmness, by zeal and fervency. Enable me to 
conduct myself with prudence in all transactions, 
and to show courage in danger, patience in 
adversity, and in prosperity an humble mind. 
Let thy grace illuminate my understanding, direct 
my will, sanctify my body, and bless my soul. 
Make me diligent in curbing all irregular affec¬ 
tions, zealous in imploring thy grace, careful in 
keeping thy commandments, and constant in 
working out my own salvation. Finally, O 
16 * 


186 


God, make me sensible how little is the world, 
how great thy heavens, how short time, and how 
long will be the blessed eternity. O that I 
may prepare myself for death ! that I may dread 
thy judgments, that I may avoid the torments 
of a guilty conscience and obtain of thee, O 
God ! eternal life, through my blessed Saviour, 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 


187 


FORMS OF SERVICE FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP. 


MORNING SERVICE. 


Introductory Prayer . 

Our Father who art in heaven ! thy children 
and thy creatures would come to express to thee 
the language of their common wants, and their 
common weakness. While we are assembled to 
think of our eternal concerns, w T e would remem¬ 
ber that we are surrounded, supported, and 
inspected by thee. We desire now, O Lord, to 
learn thy will; to give thee the praise and hom¬ 
age that are thy due ; to confess before thee our 
manifold transgressions; to implore thy pardon¬ 
ing mercy through Jesus Christ, and to gain some 
new strength for our Christian course. In these 
our endeavours, we ask thy divine assistance. 
And as we know r not whether we shall spend 
another Sabbath on earth, may we this day ask 
ourselves, if we are prepared to meet our Cod. 
We come as the disciples of Jesus Christ, through 
w r hose name be glory to thee in the church for 
ever. Amen. 



188 


Prayer before Sermon . 

Praise waiteth for thee, 0 God, in Zion, 
and unto thee shall the vow be performed. 
Almighty and most merciful Father! thou art 
our God, early would we seek thee ; our un¬ 
wearied Benefactor, and we would bless thee ; 
our fathers’ God, and we will exalt thee. We 
would come to acknowledge thee, the only 
proper object of religious worship. We would 
come as the disciples of thy Son, to ask for 
mercy, because we are sinners ; to implore the 
influence of thy Spirit, because we are weak ; 
and to entreat for thine assistance, because on 
thee we continually depend. May we be duly 
impressed with the solemn duties of prayer. 
May we remember thine eye is upon us and 
never turned away. O thou who searchest the 
heart, we desire to worship thee, who art a Spirit, 
in spirit and in truth. We thank thee for the 
light of another of thy holy Sabbaths. Thy 
mercies, gracious Lord, are new upon us every 
morning, and fresh every evening. And now 
that our gratitude may be awakened, we would 
remember the favours which have crowned our 
days. Ever since thou gavest us life, we have 
been pensioners on thy bounty. Thou hast been 


189 


bountiful to us beyond our necessities, and mer¬ 
ciful beyond our hopes. Each day has come to 
us, bearing thine unremitted favours. Thy 
goodness, O Father, has been greater toward 
us, than we can express. Thou hast permitted 
nature, year after year, to furnish out its treasures, 
for our support; and thy hand hath been scat¬ 
tering liberally about us, the varied blessings of 
life. We rejoice and praise thee, that in thes© 
second causes, which we see operating around 
us, we are led to thee, the first Great Cause of 
all; that from these unnumbered streams we are 
led to the exhaustless Fountain of being and 
beneficence. Incite us to study thee in thy 
works, and see how much we have to thank 
thee for ; and may the multitude of blessings, 
Which surround us, be motives that shall bind 
us in obedience to thy commands. We would 
admire and adore that wisdom so evidently dis¬ 
played in the structure of our bodies. But glory 
be to thy name, that in each of these bodies thou 
hast placed the bright image of thyself; a 
rational, immortal principle. Iiow good wast 
thou, blessed God, to give us immortality ; to 
create us in the image of thine own eternity ! 
O make us duly grateful to thee for the gift of 
mind ; for that reason which controls our pas- 


190 


sions and regulates our propensities; and for 
those moral powers, which determine our duties, 
nourish our good affections, and prepare us for 
happiness by making us holy. Grant, holy God,, 
that we may use all our powers as thou design- 
edst they should be used, in searching after truth, 
—and in the cultivation of the affections of love 
to thee and love to our fellow men. But w hile 
we adore thy wisdom as displayed in these thy 
works, our souls would kindle into praise for the 
crowning gift of Christianity. Never can we 
sufficiently thank thee, for the gift of a Saviour. 
Glory be to thy name, that in the records of 
Christianity, which have come down to us, we 
also are permitted to hear the same glad tidings 
that angels announced;—that there is now peace 
on earth and good will towards man. In an 
especial manner we thank thee, ikat by him, life 
and immortality are brought to light; that now 
w 7 e are assured we shall not rest forever in the 
grave, but that beyond the darkness of the tomb, 
there shall break forth a bright and a glorious 
morning of the resurrection, when all w ho are 
in their graves shall come forth to appear before 
God. God of mercy and of grace, prepare us 
all for that day. 


191 


But while we remember thy various goodness, 
it becometh us to remember with deep humility 
and sincere contrition, how little we have de¬ 
served thy many favours. Thou hast been doing 
much for us, but we have been doing little for 
ourselves. We have offended against thy holy 
laws. Thou knowest how often we have sinned. 
But we have hope in thy grace, through Jesus 
Christ. Through him, the appointed way, we 
come for mercy. Through him we would plead, 
and through him would we throw ourselves on 
thine infinite grace. God, be merciful to us, 
sinners!—And now, Holy Father, our desires 
are before thee, that in future we may do better. 
May we from this day determine to watch the 
hidden springs of action, and see where we are 
not pure; and to break off our sins by repentance 
and our iniquities by turning unto thee. And 
since we are invited to immortality, may we, 
hereafter, have our conversation in heaven, and 
every day be preparing to join the great assem¬ 
bly of the just made perfect, in the regions of 
light, purity, and joy. Enable us, therefore, we 
earnestly pray thee, to imitate our Saviour. May 
we, as far as we are able, in the great duties of 
religion, feel as he felt, think as he thought, and 
do as he did. May Christ be formed in us the 


192 


hope of glory. We desire to love thee more, and 
to serve thee better; to love our Saviour more, 
and to serve him better; to love each other 
more, and to serve each other better; and to be 
more ready to do to others, as we wish others 
should do to us. O God, may we be Christians 
in spirit and in deed. Give us, therefore, we 
entreat thee, more spiritual light and knowl¬ 
edge ; more love of sacred things ; more faith 
and hope ; more strength against temptation 
and sin; more purity and heavenly mindedness; 
more indifference to the fleeting objects of earth, 
and more genuine piety. O may we put on 
Christ Jesus, and become completely furnished 
unto every good work. 

* 

Our Father who art in heaven, we look to 
thee, who givest strength to the weak, ?nd power 
to the helpless, for aid in the solemn services of 
thy house. Wilt thou be very near us in mercy; 
direct our thoughts, engage our hearts, elevate 
our affections, and forgive us our sins ; and to 
thee shall be the praise forever, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 




193 


Prayer after Sermon . 

Almighty God, the Fountain of wisdom, who 
knowest our necessities before we ask, and our 
ignorance in asking ; we beseech thee to have 
compassion upon our infirmities ; and those 
things, which, for our unworthiness, we dare 
not, and for our blindness w r e cannot ask, vouch¬ 
safe to give us, as disciples of thy Son. Through 
him we pray God to grant, that the w ords w^e 
have now heard with our outward ears, may, 
through thy grace, be so grafted inwardly in our 
hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit 
of good living; to the honour and praise of thy 
holy name. Forgive what thou hast seen amiss 
in us, during our waiting upon thee in thy house. 
We would now commit ourselves to thy care, 
ascribing to thee, the kingdom, power, and glory 
forever. Amen. ; v 

Benediction . 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ fie with 
you. Amen. 

IT 


194 


EVENING SERVICE. 


Introductory Prayer . 

Assist us, O Lord, in all our doings, by thy 
most gracious favour, and further us with thy 
continual help; that in all our works, begun, 
continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify 
thy holy name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain, 
everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 


Prayer before Sermon. 

High and holy Lord our God ! As children 
before a Parent, as subjects before a Sovereign, 
as sinners before a Being of infinite purity, we 
bow at thy footstool in prayer. In the spirit of 
faith, in the spirit of love, gratitude, and hope, 
we desire to make known our requests to our 
Father in heaven. May we be deeply penetrated 
with the thought that thine eye is this moment 
upon us. With the voice of praise and thanks- 




giving, we would again enter thy courts, O thou 
Most High, and give thee glory, that we are 
permitted to see the light of another of thy holy 
days. 13y these successive returns of duty, 
thou art reminding us of how much we owe to 
him who made us, and to him who hath re¬ 
deemed us. We are united to thee, O Father, 
by many and tender ties, for thou art our Cre¬ 
ator, Preserver, unwearied Benefactor. We 
would acknowledge thee in all thou hast enabled 
us to enjoy ; and we would acknowledge thee 
in all thou hast brought us to suffer. Thou in 
wisdom gavest us life, and in kindness dost sus¬ 
tain us. All our springs are in thee. God of 
mercy and of grace, thy goodness is as wide as 
providence, and thy lovingkindness is from age 
to age. May true gratitude be awakened in 
our souls. 

We rejoice, merciful God, and thank thee,,for 
the high rank we have in the scale of being ; 
for the gift of rational and moral faculties ;— 
yet, above all, we magnify and bless thy holy 
name, for the inestimable gift of a Saviour; for 
the means of grace, and the hope of glory. 
Praise be to God in the highest, for the gift 
of a Redeemer who lived, teaching us how to 
live; and died, opening beyond the grave the 


196 


glories of immortality. For these, and for many 
mtfelt blessings, Father, we thank thee. 

But while we call to mind thy rich mercies to 
us, we would with the deepest humiliation and 
penitence, confess we have abused thy multiplying 
favours. We have disregarded thine authority, 
and forgotten our obligations. We lament the 
coldness of our devotions; the insensibility of 
our hearts; the frequency of our sins. But, O 
Lord, we come through him, who died that we 
might live, and would devoutly pray thee to blot 
out our transgressions, and hereafter to receive 
us graciously, and love us freely. Lead us to 
that repentance which the Gospel reqires. 

And now, O God, our desires are before thee, 
that in future we may understand our religion 
and our duties more thoroughly. Give us to be 
more pure and holy, more wise and devout 
more benevolent to our fellow men ; more grate¬ 
ful and obedient to thee. May we have the new 
heart and the new life that Christ requires. 
Grant us therefore to have a more strong, lively, 
and rational faith in our glorified Redeemer; a 
faith, that shall have an efficacy and a perma¬ 
nence. May it act in us, as a practical persua¬ 
sion of Christian truth, and a strong encourage¬ 
ment to a holy life. Renew us, gracious God, 
in the temper of our minds, so that we may be 


197 


able to put on Christ Jesus, to break down the 
power of our earth-born passions, and to walk 
as children of the light. Under a firm conviction 
of thine overruling Providence, may we live as 
seeing thee, who art invisible, and as acting in 
the presence ot God; and may we be so pure in 
heart, that thy blessing and favour shall go with 
us through life; and thus by faith in him who 
came to enlighten and and save the world, may 
we receive the pardon of our sins ; and through 
iiis resurrection, be raised at last to enjoy in 
heaven an eternity of increasing blessedness and 
glory. 

O thou who art the Father of all the families 
on earth ; hear our earnest supplications, that the 
religion of thy Son may be extended over every 
region, and rule in every heart. May the solita¬ 
ry place be made glad, and the desert rejoice and 
blossom, and the earth be filled with the glory of 
the Lord. Be, in much mercy, with the minis¬ 
ters of the Gospel, and may they preach Jesus 
Christ, and him crucified, so as to make men 
wise to salvation. 

And wilt thou, who art the high and mighty 
Ruler of the universe, bless with thine all-pow¬ 
erful aid, our rulers; may they be indeed minis¬ 
ters of good. Give to them wisdom to perceive, 
and integrity to pursue, the measures most con- 
17 * 


198 


tlucive to our best interests ; and may we be that 
happy people, whose God is the Lord. 

We pray for the sick, that thou wouldst be 
their great Physician ; and for the afflicted, that 
thou wouldst give them that consolation, which 
the world cannot give nor take way. 

* 

We would again commend ourselves to thee. 
Bow thine heavens, O Lord, and come down. 
Be in the midst of us, to hear the prayers which 
w 7 e offer as the disciples of Jesus Christ; ascrib¬ 
ing t:. thee, the King eternal, immortal, invisible, 
the only wise God, praises everlasting. Amen. 


Prayer after Sermon . 

Eveu living and ever blessed Lord our God ! 
we again come to seek a parent’s face and a 
parent’s blessing. We would acknowledge our 
entire dependence on thee. We thank thee for 
the privileges of public worship; and wilt thou, 
who hast given us grace at this time, with one 
accord, to make our common supplications to 
thee ; and hast promised, that where two or three 
are gathered together in thy Son’s name, thou 



199 


wilt grant their requests; fulfil, now, O Lord, 
the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may 
be most expedient for them ; granting us in this 
world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world 
to come life everlasting. Amen. 

Benediction. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
love of God, and the fellowship of his Holy 
Spirit, be with you all forever. Amen. 


Morning Prayer for a School. 

God of the morning! we would raise our 
thoughts to thee, in adoration of thy perfections, 
and in thankful remembrance of thy goodness to 
the children of men. Every morning and every 
moment affords evidence of thy greatness, the 
glory and the benignity of thy character. Thou 
createdst all things, and for thy pleasure they 
were created. The heavens are thine ; the earth 
also is thine; we ourselves are thy offspring, 
and we rejoice that we may address thee as our 
Father. Our natural and moral powers, and all 
our means of happiness and improvement, are the 
effects of thy paternal kindness. It is thou alone 



200 


who makest us to dwell in safety, and to enjoy 
the blessings which thy goodness hath bestowed. 
Thou earest for all; thou blessest all. It is ow¬ 
ing to thy protection and favour, that we behold 
this day, with the advantages and pleasures which 
accompany it And now that we are assembled 
here, we would commit ourselves to the direc¬ 
tion of thy good providence. We pray for thy 
continued support and guidance. May w r e feel, 
as we ought, our dependence on thee; our con¬ 
stant and increasing obligations. May we re¬ 
member that thine eye is never for a moment 
withdrawn from us; that thou art intimately 
acquainted with all that W’e do, with all that we 
say, and with all that we think. May this im¬ 
pression habitually influence us, and dispose us 
to give a right direction to all our powers. 

Author of all good, let thy blessing rest upon 
these youths. Make them to go in the path of 
thy commandments. May they early acquaint 
themselves with thee, the God of their fathers. 
May they have correct sentiments of thy paternal 
character. Suffer them not to forget their duty 
to thee, who hast never forgotten to be good and 
merciful unto them. Suffer them not, Source of 
all good influences, to misuse their time, or to 
abuse their talents, by indulging in negligence, 
or in vicious and irregular habits. Keep them 


201 

in thy fear. Let them not depart from innocence 
and virtue. May Jesus Christ be their chosen 
model. May they properly estimate and im¬ 
prove their advantages for gaining knowledge. 
May they be inspired with a generous and noble 
ardour to excel in what will make them wise, and 
useful, and happy. May they search for knowl¬ 
edge, as a treasure of immense value. May 
they have that fear of thee, which is the instruc¬ 
tion of wisdom. We pray that a meek, docile, 
and humble spirit may mark their principles and 
character, and that thou wouldst keep them from 
the evil of sin. By their improvement in good 
learning, by the correctness of their morals, and 
by the habitual regularity of their deportment, 
may they be solicitous to gratify the desires, and 
hopes, and expectations of their parents and 
friends; and especially, may they secure the 
approbation and acceptance of thee, their best 
friend and benefactor. God of truth, will it 
please thee to guide their feet in the way of 
truth and holiness, to make them instruments of 
much good in the world, and to prepare them all 
for that inheritance, which can never be lost nor 
impaired. Hear us through Jesus Christ, our 
Redeemer and Advocate. Amen. 


202 


Evening Prayer for a School 

Father in heaven ! we thank thee for the 
pleasures and blessings of the day, which is now 
drawing near its close. By thy care and kind¬ 
ness, another day has been allowed us for the 
pursuit of useful knowledge, and may we not be 
insensible of our increased obligations to love and 
serve thee, and to be faithful in the use of the 
talents, which thou hast given us. If any of 
us have this day been careless and inconsiderate; 
if we have misimproved or wasted these valuable 
hours, we pray thee to forgive us, on our sorrow 
for our faults. Let us consider our ways and 
be wise. May the young more fully appreciate 
their privileges, and by reflecting with regret on 
the time they may have thoughtlessly thrown 
away, may they be excited to unwearied attention 
for the future. Let those who are habitually 
industrious, who are frugal of their time, never 
grow weary in this way of welldoing. May 
these youths wisely consider, that time is a treas¬ 
ure, which, if lost, can never be regained ; and 
that the present time is all, of which they can 
promise themselves assured possession. May 
they be solicitous to perform what duty requires 
of them, and may they consider diligent appfi- 


203 


cation to their studies, as a duty not to be 
disregarded. 

We thank thee, Source of wisdom and virtue, 
for the pleasures which are intimately associated 
with the improvement of the mind and heart. 
May each one present deserve, and deserving, 
share these pleasures. And now that they are 
about to depart from this place, may they think 
seriously on the flight of time, that every day 
carries them nearer to the maturity of life, and 
to its closing scene; and may thoughts and re¬ 
flections like these, have powerful influence in 
leading their thoughts to God, in promoting that 
sobermindedness and piety, which are peculiar¬ 
ly ornamental in early life. God of mercy! 
have them, we beseech thee, in thy holy keep¬ 
ing. May Jesus Christ be in them the hope of 
glory. May their early impressions be such, as 
will guard them against the allurements of vice, 
and against those evil communications, which 
corrupt the heart, and vitiate the morals. 

God of our fathers ! bless the parents of these 
youths. Make them faithful in the watching 
and instruction of their offspring. May they 
give them such wise counsel, and set before 
them such virtuous examples, that their children, 
by obedient lives and well ordered conversation, 
may be prepared for whatever shall await them 


204 


here, and finally secure thy favour which is life, 
and thy lovingkindness which is better than life. 

O thou who art always ready to pardon the 
penitent, forgive us our sins. Forgive us that 
we so often disregard our duty, and violate 
thy commands. May we be truly sorry for 
every thing that we have said, or thought, or 
done, which is offensive to thee ; and hereafter 
let us deviate no more from the path of religious 
wisdom. May we remember thine eye is ever 
upon us, and that we are all accountable to thee. 
Having done thy will on earth, and finished the 
work assigned us, may we be prepared to partake 
in the felicities of the heavenly state, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen. 


Morning Prayer for a Sabbath School. 

Our Father who art in heaven! we thank 
thee for preserving us to another holy Sabbath. 
Thou givest all things ; thou doest all things ; 
thou governest all things ;—thou knowest all we 
think ; thou seest all we do ; and thou hearest 
all our prayers. As the disciples of Jesus Christ 
we would now worship thee in spirit and in truth. 
Our various blessings come from thee;—we are 
in health, while others are sick; we are alive, 



205 


while others are dead ; we have food to eat and 
raiment to put on, while others are suffering with 
want. We would feel gratitude to thee for our 
parents and friends ; for our health and strength ; 
for the means of instruction, for the holy Bible ; 
for the Christian Sabbath ; and for public worship. 
For all these methods of preparing us for heaven, 
Holy Father! we thank thee. 

Thou hast promised that, the children of thy 
church shall be taught of God. We now anx¬ 
iously ask thy blessing upon this school. Give 
to the instructors the spirit of kindness, diligence, 
and piety, so that as fellow-workers with thee 
they may impart to these pupils the principles of 
good learning and pure religion.—Especially bless 
these youth. Take them to thy peculiar care. 
Are any of them without parents, wilt thou be 
the Father of the fatherless; are any in need, 
wilt thou supply their wants; are any discourag¬ 
ed, wilt thou give them hope ; and are any ac¬ 
customed to vice, wilt thou reclaim them. 
Engage them early to love thee with all their 
hearts and to be kindly affectioned one to another, 
remembering the holy child Jesus, who, as he in¬ 
creased iu stature, increased also in favour with 
God and man. Create in them, we intreat thee, 
a strong thirst after religious knowledge. May 
they lift up their voice for understanding, and 
13 


search for it as silver and seek it as the most 
precious treasure. May they attend to their in¬ 
structions at this time with inquiring minds, and 
consider religion as the best ornament of their 
age. O God ! take possession of their hearts ; 
defend them from all the snares and temptations, 
the pollution and defilements of the world ; and 
let thy good spirit root out all sinful affections 
from their hearts, and sow the incorruptible seed 
of thy grace, that they may be partakers of thy 
divine nature and bring forth in their lives the 
fruits of righteousness and true holiness. 

Almighty God ! Bless the several families to 
which these children belong; and may every 
house be a house of prayer, and every heart an 
altar to thee. 

Prepare us all for the sacred instructions of 
the sanctuary. While in the house of God, may 
we possess serious minds, penitent hearts, and 
pure devotion ; and by these services on earth 
may we be made fit. for the higher services of 
thy heavenly temple, which we ask through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 


Evening Prayer for a Sabbath School. 

Almighty and eternal God ! we approach thy 
mercy-seat in the name of him whom thou hear- 



207 


est always. Thine eye that looks upon all 
things, is this moment fixed upon us. We thank 
thee for the instruction of another Sabbath. Let 
thy divine blessing follow the ministrations of 
the sanctuary. What gratitude ought we to feel, 
that thou hast made us capable of knowing, 
loving, and worshipping thee ! Thou hast given 
us more understanding than the beasts of the 
field, and made us wiser than the fowls of the 
air. They know thee not; they love thee not; 
they cannot speak thy praises;—but we can 
raise our thoughts to heaven, we can worship 
the Lord our God ; we can ask thee to make 
us wiser and better every day, to enable us to 
serve thee while we live, and to receive us into 
heaven when we die. 

Eternal Father! Without thy grace all our 
wisdom is folly, and without thy help all our 
efforts are vain. Give divine efficacy to the 
religious lessons which have now been dispensed. 
May the instructers be encouraged by the success 
of their labours ; and so inform the minds, amend 
the hearts, and cherish the best affections of their 
pupils, that they shall be a generation to serve 
thee. Send down thy heavenly grace upon the 
hearts of these children. May they remember 
thee their Creator in the days of their youth, 
and give to thee their affections. Thou know- 


208 


est how long they are to live; we earnestly 
pray that they may become religious children,— 
and when they recollect that Jesus Christ came 
into the world to labour, and suffer, and die for 
them, may his love engage them to love him 
again. May they study his blessed Gospel, 
imbibe his divine spirit, and copy his spotless 
example. May they never think or say or do 
what Christ forbids. May they carefully shun 
whatever is offensive in thy sight; ail wicked 
words and actions; whatever is profane or im¬ 
modest in language; whatever is unkind or 
revengeful in temper; and whatever is false or 
deceitful in practice. Protect them, O God! 
from vicious companions, and bad examples ;— 
rescue them from every danger; save them from 
every sin, and keep them from the evil there is 
in the world. May all remember the shortness 
of life, the certainty of death, and the solemnity 
of their final judgment. 

Lord of life! as we are now about to sepa¬ 
rate, we ask thy protection. Before we go to 
rest this night, may we give up our souls to thee 
in prayer, and wilt thou refresh us for the duties 
of the coming day; and may we all live as we 
shall wish we had done when we come to die. 
We offer our prayers through Jesus Christ, our 
Lord and Redeemer, ascribing to thee all glory 
forever. Amen. 


209 


Funeral Prayer . 

O thou, who livest whilst mortals die ; who 
alone possessest independent immortality ! Eter¬ 
nal God ! we bow before thee as the Supreme 
Disposer of all events. Believing that nothing 
can come to pass through the whole extent of 
thy works, without thy knowledge and influence, 
we desire to learn well the lesson thou art now' 
teaching us. Thou doest thy will in the armies 
of heaven above, and among the inhabitants of 
the earth below. None can stay thine hand, or 
say unto thee, What doest thou ? 

Thou hast been pleased, in great wflsdom and 
in awful justice, to appoint unto all men once to 
die, and after death, the judgment. Thou hast 
said to the whole human race, Dust ye are, and 
to dust ye shall return. Grant that when we 
see this awful sentence put in execution, when 
we are conveying our friends, relations, or ac¬ 
quaintance to the silent grave; we may be 
seriously reminded of our own mortality, and 
thereby be excited to work the work of thee 
our God, while it is day, since the night of 
death is coming, in which no man can work. 

O may we remember that now is the accepted 
time, and now is the day of our salvation. May 
18 * 


our lives be those of the righteous, and our last; 
end be like his; and when our turn shall come 
to enter this house, appointed for all the living, 
may we have in our mouths the triumphant song 
of the Christian, O death, where is thy sting ? 
O grave, where is thy victory ? 

Thanks be to God, who hath given us the vic¬ 
tory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be 
to God, who hath begotten us to the lively hope 
of immortality in his Son. Thanks be to God, 
that death could not retain the Saviour, but that 
a power stronger than death, a power higher 
than nature, raised him from the dead, there¬ 
by establishing our hope. Now is come salva¬ 
tion, and strength, and the kingdom of our God. 
Glory be to thee in the highest, that life and 
immortality are now brought to light; and that 
we know that if our earthly house of this taber¬ 
nacle were dissolved, we have a building of 
God, a house not made with hands, eternal in 
the heavens. 

Unchangeable God! in the awful presence of 
death, we feel our entire dependence on thee ; 
and while we witness that the glorv of man 
passeth away as the flower of the grass ; we feel 
the value of the assurance, that thy word shall 
never pass away. Thou remainest to the living 
and the dead, the same God ; the Protector and 


211 


Father of all; faithfully keeping "those whom 
thou takest away, and offering consolation to 
those who are left. To whom but thee, shall we 
address ourselves in this hour of our sorrow? 

Sanctify, O Lord, we beseech thee, this be¬ 
reaving dispensation of thy providence, to those 
from whom thou hast taken a near relative by 
death. O may they be comforted in this day 
of affliction, by the consolations of religion. 
May they remember that thou knovvest when it 
is best to call thy children to thyself; and that 
thy chastisements are chastisements of love. 
May they, and may we, consider this instance of 
mortality, as a friendly admonition to us> to be 
also ready. 

* 

Lord of life ! We would now commit this 
body to the ground ; earth to earth, ashes to 
ashes, dust to dust; looking for the general res¬ 
urrection in the last day, and the life of the 
world to come, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

„ Father of mercies ! while thou art continuing 
us here, we would cultivate an habitual resigna¬ 
tion to thy holy will; believing thou art all wis¬ 
dom in thyself, all goodness toward thy creatures. 
Having our hearts thus fixed, stayed upon thee, 
may we be prepared to meet all the events of 


212 


life with devout composure; and prepared to 
follow those who have gone before us. 

O may we have a firm confidence in thee, the 
Rock of ages, the resting-place of all generations 5 
and be always disposed to say, Not our wills, but 
thine, be done.—The Lord gave, and the Lord 
hath taken away; blessed be the name of the 
Lord. 

Holy Father! may we pass the rest of our 
time in thy fear and love; and when called to 
lie down in the grave, may we lie down in Chris¬ 
tian hope, and when this corruptible shall have 
put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have 
put on immortality, O may we hear the welcome 
invitation of the Saviour,—Come ye blessed of 
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world. Hear us, O 
God, through him who died that we might live; 
through whom to thee be glory and dominion 
forever. Amen. 


SELECTION OF HYMNS 


The following selection of Hymns was made at the request of a 
Friend. 


1. L. M. 

A Morning Hymn. 

1 Awake, my soul! and with the sun 
Thy daily stage of duty run ; 

Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise 
To pay thy morning sacrifice. 

2 By influence of the light divine, 

Let thine own light to others shine; 

Reflect all heaven’s propitious rays, 

In ardent love and cheerlul praise. 

3 Lord ! I my vows to thee renew, 

Scatter my sins as morning dew; 

Guard my first springs of thought and wilh 
And with thyself my spirit fill. 

4 Direct, control, suggest, this clay, 

All 1 design, or do, or say ; 

That all my powers, with all their might, 
In thy sole glory may unite. 

5 All praise to thee who safe hast kept, 

And hast refreshed jne while 1 slept: 




214 


Grant, Lord! when I from death shall wake, 
I may of endless life partake. 

Bp. Ken 


2. L. M. 

The Example of Christ. 

1 And is the Gospel peace and love ? 

So let our conversation be : 

The serpent blended with the dove, 
Wisdom and meek simplicity. 

2 Whene’er the angry passions rise, 

And tempt our thoughts or tongues to strife. 
On Jesus let us fix our eyes, 

Bright pattern of the Christian life ! 

3 O how benevolent and kind! 

How mild ! how ready to forgive ! 

Be his the temper of our mind, 

And his the rules by which we live. 

4 To do his heavenly Father’s will 
Was his employment and delight: 

Humility and holy zeal 

Shone through his life, divinely bright 1 

3 Dispensing good where’er he came, 

The labors of his life were love ; 

Then if we bear the Saviour’s name. 

By his example let us move. 

Mrs. Steele. 


3 . 7 s. M. 

Christ risen, and Death vanquished 

i Angel, roll the rock away ! 

.Death, yield up thy mighty prey ! 


215 


^ee, he rises from the tomb, 

Glowing in immortal bloom ! Hallelujah 

2 Shout, ye saints, in rapturous song, 

Let the notes be sweet and strong; 

Hail the son of God, this morn 
From his sepulchre new-born! 

3 Powers of heaven, celestial choirs, 

Sing, and sweep your sounding lyres! 
Sons of men, in joyful strain, 

Hail your mighty Saviour’s reign ! 

4 Every note with rapture swell, 

And the Saviour’s triumph tell: 

Where, O death, is now thy sting? 
Where thy terrors, vanquished king? 

Scott 


4 . L. M. 


Candour. 

1 All-seeing God ! ’tis thine to know 
The springs whence wrong opinions flow 
To judge, from principles w ithin, 

When frailty r errs, and when we sin. 

2 Who among men, great Lord of all! 

Thy servant to his bar shall call; 

Judge him for modes of faith, thy foe, 
And doom him to the realms of wo ? 

3 Who with another’s eye can read, 

Or worship by another’s creed ? 

Trusting thy r grace, w r e form our own, 
And bow to thy commands alone. 

4 If wrong, correct; accept, if right; 
While faithful we improve our light,— 


216 


Condemning none, but zealous still 
To learn and follow all thy will. 

5 When shall our happy eyes behold 
All Christians fashioned in thy mould; 
And charity our lineage prove 
Derived from thee, O God of love! 

Scott. 


5 . C. M. 

Zeal and Vigour in the Christian Race. Phi), iii. 12—14, 

1 Awake, my soul! stretch every nerve, 

And press with vigour on: 

A heavenly race demands thy zeal, 

And an immortal crown. 

2 A cloud of witnesses around 

Hold thee in full survey: 

Forget the steps already trod, 

And onward urge thy way. 

3 ’Tis God’s all-animating voice 

That calls thee from on high ; 

’Tis his own hand presents the prize 
To thine aspiring eye: 

4 That prize, with peerless glories bright. 

Which shall new lustre boast, 

When victors’ wreaths and monarchs’ gems 
Shall blend in common dust. 

5 My soul, with all thy wakened powers. 

Survey the immortal prize ; 

Nor let the glittering toys of earth 
Allure thy wandering eyes. 


Doddridge. 


217 


6. L. M. 


On the Death of a Child. 

1 As the sweet flower which scents the mom, 
But withers in the rising day, 

Thus lovely seemed the infant’s dawn! 
Thus swiftly fled his life away! 

2 Ere sin could blight, or sorrow fade, 

Death timely came with friendly care ; 
The opening bud to heaven conveyed, 

And bade it bloom forever there. 

3 Yet the sad hour that took the boy 
Perhaps has spared a heavier doom, 
Snatched him from scenes of guilty joy, 

Or from the pangs of ills to come. 

4 He died before his infant soul 

Had ever burned with wrong desire; 

Had ever spurned at heaven’s’control. 

Or ever quenched its sacred fire. 

5 He died to sin, he died to care; 

But for a moment felt the rod ; 

Then springing on the viewless air, 

Spread his light wings, and soared to God. 

Belfast Select. 


7 . S. M. 

Support in Death. Ps. xxiii. 

1 Behold the gloomy vale, 

Which thou, my soul! must tread, 
Beset with terrors fierce and pale, 
That leads thee to the dead. 

19 


2i8 


:2 Ye pleasing scenes, adieu ! 

Which I so long have known: 

My friends, a long farewell to you! 

For I must pass alone. 

3 But see ! a ray of light, 

With splendour all divine, 

Breaks through these dreary realms of night, 
And makes its horrors shine. 

4 Where death, where darkness reigns, 
Jehovah is my stay; 

His rod my trembling feet sustains, 

His staff defends my way. 

5 Great Shepherd ! lead me on ; 

My soul disdains to fear; 

Death’s gloomy phantoms all are flown, 

Now life’s great Lord is near. 

Doddridge. 


8. C. M. 

The Reunion of virtuous Friends after Death. 

1 Bless’d hour, when virtuous friends shall meet. 

Shall meet to part no more, 

And with celestial welcome greet, 

On an immortal shore. 

2 The parent finds the long-lost child ; 

Brothers on brothers gaze ; 

The tear of resignation mild 
Is changed to joy and praise. 

3 Each tender tie, dissolved with paii% 

With endless bliss is crowned ; 

All that was dead, revives again ; 

All that was lost, is found. 


219 


And while remembrance, lingering still, 
Draws joy from sorrowing hours; 

New prospects rise, new pleasures fill 
The soul’s expanded powers. 

5 Congenial minds, arrayed in light, 

High thoughts shall interchange ; 

Nor cease, with ever new delight, 

On wings of love to range. 

6 Their Father marks their generous flame, 

And looks complacent down ; 

The smile that owns their filial claim 
Is their immortal crown. 

Liverpool (Paradise st.) Coll. 


9. 7 s. M. 

Christ’s Invitations. Mat. xi. 28. 

1 Come ! said Jesus’ sacred voice, 

Come, and make my paths your choice t 
I will guide you to your home; 

Weary pilgrim, hither come ! 

2 Thou, who houseless, sole, forlorn, 

Long hast borne the proud world’s scorn, 
Long hast roamed the barren waste, 
Weary pilgrim, hither haste! 

3 Ye, who tossed on beds of pain, 

Seek for ease, but seek in vain : 

Ye, whose swollen and sleepless eyes 
Watch to see the morning rise ; 

4 Ye, by fiercer anguish torn, 

In remorse for guilt who mourn, 

Here repose your heavy care : 

Who the stings of guilt can bear! 


220 


5 Sinner, come ! for here is found 
Balm that flows for every wound ; 
Peace that ever shall endure, 

Rest eternal, sacred, sure. 

Mrs. Barbauld. 


10. 8 & 7s. M. 

On the Death of a Child at Day-break. 

“ Let me go, for the day breaketh.” Gen. xxxii. 3£. 

1 Cease here longer to detain me, 

Kindest mother drowned in woe, 

Now thy kind caresses pain me; 

Morn advances—let me go. 

2 See yon orient streak appearing ! 

Harbinger of endless day; 

Hark! a voice, the darkness cheering, 
Calls my new-born soul away ! 

3 Lately launched, a trembling stranger, 

On this world’s "wild boisterous flood, 
Exposed to pains and tossed with danger, 
Gladly I return to God. 

4 Now my cries shall cease to grieve thee, 

Now my trembling heart find rest; 
Kinder arms than thine receive me, 

Softer pillow than thy breast. 

5 Weep not o’er these eyes that languish, 

Upward turning toward their home ; 
Raptur’d they ’ll forget all anguish, 

While they wait to see thee come. 

6 There, my mother, pleasures centre ;— 

Weeping, parting, care, or wo 
Ne’er our Father’s house shall enter;—■ 
Morn advances—let me go. 


221 


7 As, through this calm and holy dawning, 

Silent glides my parting breath 
To an everlasting morning — 

Gently close my eyes in death. 

8 Blessings, endless, richest blessings, 

Pour their streams upon thy heart! 

( Though no language yet possessing ) 
Breathes my spirit ere we part. 

9 Yet to leave thee sorrowing rends me, 

Now again his voice I hear ; 

Rise ! may every grace attend thee, 
Rise, and seek to meet me there. 

Cecil. 


11. S. M. 

The Pleasures of Religion. 

1 Come, ye who love the Lord! 

And let your joys be known i 

Join in a song with sweet accord, 

And thus surround his throne. 

2 The sorrows of the mind 

Be banished from this place \ 
Religion never was designed 
To make your pleasures less. 

3 God, your eternal Friend, 

No present good denies ; 

And when the scenes of time shall end, 
Will call you to the skies, 

4 There shall you see his face, 

And never, never sin; 

There, from the rivers of his grace, 
Drink endless pleasures in, 

19* 


222 


5 The sons of God have found 
Glory begun below : 

Celestial fruits, on earthly ground, 

From faith and hope may grow. 

6 Then let our sorrows cease, 

And every tear be dry ; 

We ’re travelling through the paths of peace 
To fairer worlds on high. 

Watts. 


12. L. M. 

11 This do in remembrance of me.” 1 Cor. xi. 24. 

1 “ Eat, drink, in memory of your friend ! ” 

Such was our Master’s last request; 

Who all the pangs of death endured, 

That we might live for ever blessed. 

2 Yes, we’ll record thy matchless love, 

Thou dearest, tenderest, best of Friends ! 

Thy dying love, the noblest praise 

Our hearts can offer thee, transcends. 

3 ’Tis pleasure more than earth can give 
Thy goodness through these veils to see• 

Thy table food celestial yields, 

And happy they who sit with thee. 

Dublin Coll. alt*d. 


- 13. C. M. 

Secret Devotion. Matt. vi. 0. 

1 Father Divine ! thy piercing eye 
Looks through the shades of night; 
In deep retirement thou art nigh, 
With heart-discerning sight; 


223 


2 There shall that piercing eye survey 

My duteous homage paid, 

With every morning’s dawning ray, 

And every evening’s shade. 

3 I’ll leave behind each earthly care ; 

To thee my soul shall soar; 

While grateful praise and fervent prayer 
Employ the silent hour. 

4 So shall the Sun in smiles arise; 

The day shall close in peace ; 

So wilt thou train me for the skies, 
Where joy shall never cease. 

Doddridge alt’cL 


14 . C. M. 


Paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer, 

1 Father of all! Eternal God! 

Supremely good and great! 

Thy children, formed and blessed by the?-, 
Approach thy heavenly seat. 

2 Thy name in hallowed strains be sung; 

We join the solemn praise; 

Td thy great name, with heart and tongue, 
Our cheerful homage raise. 

3 Thy mild, thy wise and righteous reign, 

Let every being own ; 

And in our minds, thy work divine, 

Erect thy gracious throne. 

4 As angels in the heavenly worlds 

Thy blessed commands fulfil; 

So may thy creatures here below 
Perform thy holy will. 


224 


5 On thee we day by day depend, 

And on thy care rely : 

Give us each day our daily bread, 

And every want supply. 

6 Extend thy grace to every fault; 

Oh, let thy love forgive! 

Teach us divine forgiveness too, 

Nor let resentments live. 

7 Where tempting snares bestrew the way, 

Permit us not to tread ; 

And threatening evils, Lord, avert 
From our unguarded head. 

8 Thy sacred name we thus adore, 

With cheerful, humble mind ; 

And praise thy goodness, power, and trutlh 
Eternal, unconfined! 

Exeter Call. 


15. C. M. 

The Universal Prayer. 

1 Father of all! whose cares extend 

To earth’s remotest shore; 

Through every age let praise ascend; 
Let every clime adore. 

2 What conscience dictates to be done, 

Or warns me not to do, 

This, teach me more than death to shun, 
That, more than life pursue. 

3 If I am right, thy grace impart, 

Still in the right to stay ; 

If I am wrong, O teach my heart 
To find the better way! 


225 


.4 Save me alike from foolish pride, 

Or impious discontent; 

At aught thy wisdom has denied, 

Or aught thy goodness lent. 

5 Teach me to feel another’s wo, 

To hide the faults I see ; 

That mercy I to others show, 

That mercy show to me. 

6 This day, be bread and peace my lot; 

But, all beneath the sun, 

Thou know’st if best bestowed or not; 
And let thy will be done. 

7 To thee, whose temple is all space, 

Whose altar, earth, sea, skies, 

One chorus, let all beings raise, 

All nature’s incense rise ! 

Pope. 


16 . C. M. 


^ The Excelleucy of the Holy Scriptures, 

.1 Father of mercies ! in thy word 
What endless glory shines! 

For ever be thy name adored, 

For these celestial lines ! 

2 Here, may the wretched sons of want 

Exhaustless riches find; 

Riches above what earth can grant, 
And lasting as the mind. 

3 Here, the fair tree of knowledge grows, 

And yields a free repast; 

Sublimer sweets than nature knows, 
Invite the longing taste. 


226 


4 Here, springs of consolation rise, 

To cheer the fainting mind; 

And thirsty souls receive supplies, 

And sweet refreshment find. 

6 O may thy Gospel ever be 
Our study and delight; 

And still new beauties may we see, 
And still increasing light! 

Mrs, Steele. 


17. 8 , 8, 6 M. 

The Parent’s Prayer. 

1 Father of all, whose sovereign will 
Hath called thy servant to fulfil 

The parent’s tender part! 

With gifts and graces from above, 

With calmest care, and wisest love, 

Instruct my simple heart. 

2 O may I every moment see 
iThe end for which alone to me 

Thou hast my children given! 

A blessed instrument divine, 

Through thee, to make and keep them thine, 
And train them up for heaven. 

3 My first concern their souls to rear, 

And, principled with godly fear, 

In virtue’s paths to lead ; 

The hunger after thee excite, 

And stir them up with all their might 
To seek their living bread. 

4 Thou, Lord ! my every wish prevent, 

And guard whom thou to me hast lent, 

And guide them by thine eye; 

Conduct—or to thyself receive: 

O let them to thy glory live, 

Or innocently die! 


Charles Wesley, alt’cL 


227 


18. L. M. 

Family Duties and Blessings. Gen. xviii. 19. 

1 Father of men ! thy care we bless, 

Which crowns our families with peace: 
From thee they sprung, and by thy hand 
Their root and branches are sustained. 

2 To God, most worthy to be praised. 

Be our domestic altars raised ; 

Though Lord of heaven, he deigns to dwell 
With saints in their obscurest cell. 

3 To him let each united house, 

Morning and night, present its vows: 

Our servants there, and rising race, 

Be taught his precepts and his grace. 

4 Then shall the charms of wedded love 
Still more delightful blessings prove ; 

And parents’ hearts shall overflow, 

With joys that parents only know. 

5 O may each future age proclaim 
The honors of thy glorious name; 

While pleased and thankful, we remove 
To join the family above! 

Doddridgr 


19. L. tf. 

An Evening Hymn. 

1 Glory to thee, my God ! this night, 
For all the blessings of the light: 
Keep me, O keep me ! King of kings ! 
Beneath thine own almighty wings. 


228 


2 Forgive me, Lord! through thy dear Son, 
The ill that I this day have done, 

That with the world, myself, and thee, 

I, ere 1 sleep, at peace may be. 

3 O may my soul on thee repose! 

And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close; 
Sleep that shall me more vigorous make 
To serve my God when I awake. 

4 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ! 
Praise him, all creatures here below ! 
Praise him above, ye heavenly choir! 

O may his praise my soul inspire! 

Bp. Ken, alt’d. 


20. 7 S. M. 


Penitential. 

1 God of mercy! God of love ! 

Hear our sad, repentant songs ; 
Listen to thy suppliant race, 

Thou to whom all grace belongs! 

2 Deep regret for follies past, 

Talents wasted, time mispent; 

Hearts debased by worldly cares, 
Thankless for the blessings lent; 

3 Foolish fears and fond desires, 

Vain regrets for things as vain ; 

Lips too seldom taught to praise, 

Oft to murmur and complain ; 

4 These, and every secret fault, 

Filled with grief and shame we own : 
Humbled at thy feet we bow, 
Seeking pardon from thy throne. 


229 


5 God of mercy ! God of grace ! 

Hear our sad repentant songs ; 

O restore thy suppliant race, 

Thou to whom all grace belongs ! 

J. Taylor. 


21 . L. M. 

Steadfastness and Watchfulness implored. 

1 Great God ! my Father and my Friend, 

On whom I cast my constant care, 

On whom for all things I depend! 

To thee I raise my humble prayer. 

2 Endue me with a holy fear; 

The frailty of my heart reveal; 

Sin and its snares are always near, 

Thee may I always nearer feel. 

3 O that to thee my constant mind 
May with a steady flame aspire; 

Pride in its earliest motions find, 

And check the rise of wrong desire ! 

4 O that my watchful soul may fly 
The first perceived approach of sin ; 

Look up to thee when danger’s nigh, 

And feel thy fear control within ! 

5 Search, gracious God ! my inmost heart; 

From guilt and error set me free; 

Thy light and truth and peace impart, 

And guide me safe to heaven and thee. 

Exeter Coll. 


20 


230 


22. 8, 8, 6 M. 

Benevolence. 

1 Hail, love divine ! jojs ever new, 

While thy kind dictates we pursue, 

Our souls delighted share ; 

Too high for sordid minds to know, 

Who on themselves alone bestow 
Their wishes and their care. 

2 By thee inspired, the generous breast, 

In blessing others only blessed, 

With kindness large and free, 

Delights the widow’s tears to stay, 

To teach the blind their smoothest way, 
And aid the feeble knee. 

3 O God ! with sympathetic care, 

In others’ joys and griefs to share, 

Do thou our hearts incline ; 

Each low, each selfish wish control, 

Warm with benevolence the soul, 

And make us wholly thine. 

Blacklock. 

23. €. M. 

Advantages of early Religion. 

1 Happy is he whose early years 

Receive instruction well; 

Who hates the sinner’s path, and fears 
The road that leads to hell. 

2 For youth devoted to the Lord,, 

Is pleasing in his eyes 


231 


A flower when offered in the bud, 

Is no vain sacrifice. 

3 ’T is easier work, if we begin 

To fear the Lord betimes; 

While sinners who grow old in sin, 
Are hardened in their crimes. 

4 Tt saves us from a thousand snares 

To mind religion young; 

With joy it crowns succeeding years, 
And makes our virtue strong. 

5 To thee, Almighty God! to thee, 

Our hearts we now resign: 

’T will please us to look back and see 
That our whole lives were thine. 

6 O may the work of prayer and praise, 

Employ our daily breath ! 

Thus we ’re prepared for future days, 
Or fit for early death. 

Watts. 


24. L. M. 


The Beatitudes. Mat. v. 3—12. 

1 Happy the unrepining poor ; 

For them the heavenly rest is sure, 
Whose patient minds, in every ill, 
Submissive meet their Maker’s will. 

2 Happy the contrite, who lament 
Their wasted hours in sin mispent; 
Reclaimed from sin, they shall obtain 
Eternal joys for transient pain. 


232 


3 Happy the meek, by wisdom taught 

To check each proud, resentful thought; 
For them earth spreads the feast of life. 
Unmixed with bitterness or strife, 

4 Happy the souls that grow in grace, 
Hunger and thirst for righteousness; 

For them a full and rich supply 
Shall be prepared in worlds on high. 

5 Happy the men who mercy show 
To all that need, or friend or foe 5 
To them like mercy shall be shown, 

When God’s just sentence all shall own. 

6 Happy the pure in heart! for they 
Still holding on in virtue’s way, 

When faith and hope are changed to sight, 
Shall see their God in cloudless light. 

7 Happy the men of peaceful life, 

Who win to peace the sons of strife; 

They shall be called the sons of God, 

Tht heirs of his serene abode. 

3 And happy those who take the cross, 

For truth encounter pain and loss, 

And suffer shame for Christ, their Lord 5 
For great in heaven is their reward! 


25. c. m. 

The Mission of Christ. Luke iv. 18, 19. 

1 Hark, the glad sound ! the Saviour comes, 
The Saviour promised long ; 

Let every heart a throne prepare, 

And every voice a song. 


233 


2 On him the spirit largely poured, 

Exerts its holy fire ; 

Wisdom and might and zeal and love, 
His sacred breast inspire. 

3 He comes the prisoners to release, 

In wretched bondage held : 

The gates of brass before him burst, 
The iron fetters yield. 

4 He comes, from thickest films of vice 

To clear the mental ray; 

And on the eye-balls of the blind, 

To pour celestial day. 

5 He comes, the broken heart to bind, 

The bleeding soul to cure ; 

And, with the treasures of his grace, 
Enrich the humble poor. 

6 Our glad hosannas, Prince of peace, 

Thy welcome shall proclaim; 

And heaven’s eternal arches ring 
With thy beloved name ! 

Doddridge. 

26. 7s. M. 

Humble Adoration. 

1 Holy, holy, holy Lord ! 

Be thy glorious name adored ; 

Lord ! thy mercies never fail; 

Hail, celestial goodness, hail! 

2 Though unworthy, Lord! thine ear, 
Deign our humble songs to hear; 
Purer praise we hope to bring. 
When around thy throne we sing. 

20 * 


234 


3 While on earth ordained to stay, 

Guide our footsteps in thy way; 

Then on high we ’ll joyful raise 
Songs of everlasting praise. 

4 Lord ! thy mercies never fail; 

Hail! celestial goodness, hail! 

Holy, holy, holy Lord! 

Be thy glorious name adored. 

Salisbury Coll. 


27. c. m 

Hymn for a Sunday School. 

1 Hear, Lord ! the song of praise and prayer, 

In heaven thy dwelling-place, 

From infants made the public care 
And taught to seek thy face! 

2 Thanks for thy word and for thy day; 

And grant us, we implore, 

Never to waste in sinful play 
Thy holy sabbaths more. 

3 Thanks that we hear—but O impart 

To each, desires sincere, 

That we may listen with our heart, 

And learn as well as hear! 

4 Wisdom and bliss thy word bestows, 

A sun that ne’er declines ; 

And be thy mercies showered on those 
Who placed us where it shines! 

Cowper. 


23 5 


28. L. M. 

Pious Friendship. 

1 How bless’d the sacred tie that binds 
In union sweet, according minds ! 

How swift the heavenly course they run, 
Whose hearts, whose faith, whose hopes are one 

2 To each, the soul of each how dear ! 

What jealous love, what holy fear ! 

How doth the generous flame within 
Refine from earth, and cleanse from sin! 

3 Their streaming eyes together flow 
For human guilt and mortal wo ; 

Their ardent prayers together rise, 

Like mingling flames in sacrifice. 

4 Together both they seek the place 
Where God reveals his awful face: 

How high, how strong, their raptures swell, 
There’s none but kindred souls can tell. 

5 Nor shall the glowing flame expire 
When nature droops her sickening fire; 

Then shall they meet in realms above, 

A heaven of joy because of love. 

Mrs. Barbauld. 


29. s. m. 


Family Affection founded on Religious Principles. Ps. cxxxiii. 

1 How pleasing, Lord ! to see, 

How pure is the delight, 

When mutual love, and love to thee, 

A family unite. 


236 


2 From these celestial springs 
Such streams of comfort flow, 

As no increase of riches brings, 

Nor honours can bestow. 

3 All in their stations move, 

And each performs his part, 

In all the cares of life and love, 

With sympathizing heart. 

4 Formed for the purest joys, 

By one desire possessed, 

One aim the zeal of all employs— 

To make each other blessed. 

5 No bliss can equal theirs, 

Where such affections meet: 

While mingled praise and mingled prayers 
Make their communion sweet. 

6 ’Tis the same pleasure fills 
The breast in worlds above; 

Where joy like morning dew distils, 

And all the air is love. 

Watts. 


30. L. M. 

Christian Patience, Consolation, and Hope. 

1 Is there no kind no lenient art, 

To heal the anguish of the heart ? 

To ease the heavy load of care, 
Which nature must, but cannot bear? 

2 Can reason’s dictates be obeyed ? 
Too weak, alas ! her strongest aid ; 

O let religion then be nigh, 

Whose consolations never die ! 


237 


3 Her powerful aid supports the soul, 

And nature owns her strong control; 

W hile she unfolds the Sacred page, 

Our fiercest griefs resign their rage. 

4 Then gentle patience smiles on pain, 

And dying hope revives again ; 

Hope wipes the tear frow sorrow’s eye, 
And faith points upward to the sky: 

3 The promise guides her ardent flight, 

And joys, unknown to sense, invite 
Those blissful regions to explore, 

Where pleasure blooms to fade no more. 

Mrs. Steele. 


31. C. M. 


A Living anil o Doad F'ailll. 

1 Mistaken souls, that dream of heaven, 

And make their empty boast 
Of inward joys, and sins forgiven, 

And yet are slaves to lust! 

2 Vain are our fancies’ airy flights, 

If faith be cold and dead ; 

Nought but a living power unites 
To Christ the living Head. 

3 ’T is faith that purifies the heart; 

’Tis faith that works by love; 

That bids all sinful joys depart, 

And lifts the thoughts above. 

4 ’Tis faith that conquers earth and hell 

By a celestial power; 

This is the grace that shall prevail 
In the decisive hour. 


233 


5 Faith must obey our Father’s will 
As well as trust his grace, 

And strive to keep his favour still, 

By growing holiness. 

Watts, alt'd. 


32 . L. M. 


Retirement and Meditation. 

1 My God ! permit me not to be 
A stranger to myself and thee; 

Amidst ten thousand thoughts I rove., 
Forgetful of my highest love. 

2 Why should my hopes be fixed on earth, 
And thus debase my heavenly birth ? 
Why should I cleave to things below, 

And let my Gud, my Father, go ? 

3 Call me away from flesh and sense; 

Thy gracious word can draw me thence : 
I would obey the voice divine, 

And all inferior joys resign. 

4 Be earth, with all her scenes, withdrawn; 
Let noise and vanity be gone ; 

In secret silence of the mind, 

My heaven, and there my God, I find. 

Watts. 


33 . c. m. 

On Recovery from a dangerous Sickness. 

1 My God ! thy service well demands 
The remnant of my days; 


239 


Why was .this fleeting breath renewed 
But to renew thy praise ? 

2 Thine arms of everlasting love 

Did this weak frame sustain, 

When life was hovering o’er the grave, 
And nature sunk in pain. 

3 Calmly I watched my ebbing life ; 

1 knew thy time was best; 

Nor feared t’ obey my Father’s call, 

To his eternal rest. 

4 Into thy hands, my gracious God, 

Did I my soul resign, 

And humbly trusted in thy grace, 

For pardoning love is thine. 

5 Back from the borders of the grave, 

At thy command 1 come ; 

Nor would 1 wish a speedier flight 
To my celestial home. 

6 Where thou appointest mine abode, 

There would 1 choose to be; 

For in thy presence death is life, 

And earth is heaven with thee. 

Doddridge. 

34 . L. M. 

God our Helper. 1 Sara. vii. 12. 

1 My Helper, God ! I bless thy name ; 

The same thy power, thy grace the same 
The tokens of thy friendly care 

Open, and crown, and close the year. 

2 Amidst ten thousand deaths I stand, 
Supported by thy guardian hand ; 


2 40 


And see when I survey thy ways, 

Ten thousand monuments of praise. 

3 Thus far thine arm hath led me on ; 
Thus far I make thy mercy known; 
And while I tread this desert land, 

New blessings shall new songs demand. 

4 My grateful soul on Jordan’s shore, 
Shall raise one sacred pillar more: 
Then bear, in thy bright courts above, 
Inscriptions of immortal love. 

Doddridge. 


35 . S. M. 

Praise for spiritual and temporal Blessings. Ps. ciii. 1—7. 

1 O bless the Lord, our souls ! 

Let all within us join, 

And aid our tongues to bless his name, 
Whose favours are divine. 

2 O bless the Lord, our souls ! 

Nor let his mercies lie 

Forgotten in unthankfulness, 

And without praises die. 

3 ’T is he forgives our sins, 

’T is he relieves our pain ; 

’T is he that heals our sicknesses, 

And gives us strength again. 

4 He crowns our lives with love, 

When rescued from the grave; 

He, who redeems our souls from death. 

From every ill can save. 

5 Fie fills the poor with good ; 

He gives the sufferers rest; 


241 


The Lord hath judgments for the proud, 
And mercy for the oppressed. 

6 His wondrous works and ways 
He made by Moses known ; 

But sent the world his truth and grace 
By his beloved Son. 

Watts. 


36. L. M. 


The aged Christian, longing for Heaven. 

1 O could I soar to worlds above, 

That bless’d abode of peace and love ! 
How gladly would I mount and fly 
On angels’ wings to joys on high ! 

2 But ah ! still longer must I stay, 

Ere darksome night is changed to day; 
More crosses, sorrows, conflicts bear, 
Exposed to trials, pains, and care. 

3 Then let these troubles still abound ; 

Let thorns and briars strew the ground ; 
Let storms and tempests dreadful come, 
Till I arrive at heaven, my home. 

4 My Father knows what road is best, 

And how to lead to peace and rest: 

To him I cheerful give my all, 

Go where he guides, and wait his call. 

5 When he commands my soul away, 

Not kingdoms then should tempt my stay; 
With rapture I shall wake, and rise 
To join my friends above the skies. 


#* 


21 


Proud. 


242 


37 . L. M. 


Trust in the Divine Goodness. 

1 My God, I thank thee! may no thought 
E’er deem thy chastisements severe ; 
But may’this heart, by sorrow taught, 
Calm each wild wish, each idle fear. 

2 Thy mercy bids all nature bloom ; 

The sun shines bright, and man is gay; 
Thine equal mercy spreads the gloom, 
That darkens o’er his little day. 

3 Full many a throb of grief and pain 
Thy frail and erring child must know; 
But not one prayer is breathed in vain, 
Nor does one tear unheeded flow. 

4 Thy various messengers employ ; 

Thy purposes of love fulfil; 

And, ’mid the wreck of human joy, 

May kneeling faith adore thy will. 


33 . L. M. 

The Resurrection of Christ. 

1 Our Lord is risen from the dead, 

Our Saviour is gone up -on high : 

The powers of hell are captive led, 
Dragged to the portals of the sky. 

2 There his triumphal chariot waits, 

And angels chant their solemn lay: 

4 Lift up your heads, ye heavenly gates 
Ye everlasting doors, give way ! ’ 


* 


243 


3 Loose all jour bars of massy light, 

And wide unfold the ethereal scene; 

He burst the bands of death and night, 

And heaven receives the Conqueror in. 

4 Whom did the Lord of life subdue? 

The tyrant death his arm overcame, 

The world and hell his power o’erthrew 
And Jesus is the Conquerors name. 

5 Who is the King of glory ? Who ? 

The Christ, with God’s own power possessed, 
And made our King and Saviour too; 

Thanks be to God, forever blessed ! 

Edward Taylor. 


39 . c. m. 

Trust in God, under the Trials of Virtue. 

1 Plac’d on the verge of youth, my mind 

Life’s opening scene surveyed ; 

I viewed its ills of various kind, 
Afflicted and afraid. 

2 But chief my fear the dangers moved 

That virtue’s path inclose ; 

My heart the wise pursuit approved, 
But O, what toils oppose! 

3 For see, while yet her unknown ways 

With doubtful step 1 tread, 

A hostile world its terrors raise, 

Its snares delusive spread. 

4 O how shall I, with heart prepared, 

Those terrors learn to meet ? 

How from the thousand snares to guard 
My inexperienced feet ? 


244 


5 Let faith suppress each rising fear, 

Each anxious doubt exclude ; 

My Maker’s will has placed me here, 

A Maker wise and good. 

6 He to my every trial knows 

Its just restraint to give ; 

Attentive to behold my vtoes, 

And faithful to relieve. 

7 Then why thus heavy, O my soul ? 

Say why, distrustful still, 

Thy thoughts with vain impatience roll 
O’er scenes of future ill ? 

8 Though griefs unnumbered throng thee round. 

Still in thy God confide ; 

Whose finger marks the seas their bound, 

And curbs the rolling tide. 

Merrick. 


40 . c. m. 

The Last Day. 

t i Stand still, refulgent orb of day ! r 
The Jewish victor cries: 

So shall at last an angel say, 

And rend it from the skies. 

2 A flame intenser than the sun 

Shall melt his golden urn; 

Time’s empty glass no more shall run, 
Nor human years return. 

3 Then, with immortal splendour bright, 

That glorious orb shall rise, 

Which through eternity shall light 
The new-created skies. 


245 


4 On the bright ranks of happy souls, 

Those blissful beams shall shine ; 
While the loud song of triumph rolls 
In harmony divine. 

5 O let not sordid, base desire, 

The soul’s dark, rayless night, 
Unfit us for heaven’s sacred choir, 
Or God’s eternal light! 

Butcher 


41 . S. M. 

Children offered to God. Mark x. 14. 

1 See Israel’s Shepherd stand, 

With all-engaging charms; 

See, how he takes the tender lambs, 

And folds them in his arms! 

2 4 Permit them to approach, 

Forbid them not,’ he cried ; 

4 Of such my Father’s kingdom is, 

And such with him abide.’ 

3 We bring them, gracious Lord ! 

And yield them up to thee; 

Rejoiced that we ourselves are thine, 

Thine let our offspring be. 

4 Hear him, ye little flock; 

Ye children, seek his face; 

And fly with transport to receive 
The blessings of his grace ! 

o If orphans they are left, 

Thy guardian love we trust; 

That love can heal our bleeding hearts, 

When weeping o’er their dust. 

Doddridge, alt’d. 


21 * 


24S 


42. c. m. 

Approaching Death and Judgment. Heb. x. 24, 25. 

1 The day approaches, O my soul! 

The great decisive day, 

Which, from the verge of mortal life, 
Shall bear thee far away. 

2 Another day more awful dawns ; 

And lo ! the Judge appears ; 

All nations stand before his bar, 

With mingled hopes and fears. 

3 Yet does one short preparing hour, 

One precious hour remain ; 

Rouse then, my soul! with all thy power, 
Nor let it pass in vain. 

Doddridge. 


43. L. M. 

The Prayer of the Dying Christian. 

1 The hour of my departure’s come ; 

I hear the voice that calls me home; 

At last, O Lord.! let trouble cease, 

And let thy servant die in peace. 

2 The race appointed I have run 

The combat’s o’er, the prize is won ; 
And now my witness is on high, 

And now my record’s in the sky. 

3 1 leave the world without a tear, 

Save for the friends I hold so dear; 

To heal their sorrows, Lord ! descend, 
And to the friendless, prove a friend! 


247 


4 I come, I come at thy command, 

I yield my spirit to thy hand ! 

Stretch forth thine everlasting arms, 
And shield me in the last alarms. 

5 The hour of my departure’s come, 

I hear the voice that calls me home ; 
Now, O my God ! let trouble cease ; 
Now let thy servant die in peace. 

Logan. 


44. L. M. 

Instrumental Duties of Religion vain without Obedience. 

1 The uplifted eye and bended knee 
Are but vain homage, Lord ! to thee ; 

In vain our lips thy praise prolong, 

The heart a stranger to the song. 

2 Can rites, and forms, and flaming zeal, 

The breaches of thy precepts heal ? 

Or fasts and penance reconcile 

Thy justice, and obtain thy smile ? 

3 The pure, the humble, contrite mind, 
Sincere, and to thy will resigned, 

To thee a nobler offering yields, 

Than fragrant groves, or fertile fields. 

4 Love God and man—this great command 
Doth on eternal pillars stand : 

This did thine ancient prophets teach, 

This did the great Messiah preach. 

Scott. 


248 


45. L. M. 


Love to God and Man. Matt. xxii. 37—40. 

1 Thus saith the first and great command,— 
Let all thy inward powers unite 

To love thy Maker and thy God 
With utmost vigor and delight. 

2 Then shall thy neighbour, next in place, 
Thy heart’s sincere affection prove; 

And let thy wishes for thyself 
Measure to him the debt of love. 

3 But while these sacred truths we own, 
How cold remain our bosoms still! 

Wake our best passions, God of love ! 

And mould our spirits to thy will. 

Wattf?. 


46. L. M. 


The Miracles of Christ. 

1 What works of wisdom, power, and love. 
Do Jesus’ high commission prove; 

Attest his heaven-derived claim. 

And glorify his Father’s name! 

2 On eyes that never saw the day, 

He pours the bright celestial ray; 

And deafened ears, by him unbound. 

Catch all the harmony of sound. 

3 Lameness takes up its bed, and goes 
Rejoicing in the strength that flows 
Through every nerve; and, free from pain. 
Pours forth to God the grateful strain. 


249 


4 The shattered mind his word restores, 

And tunes afresh the mental powers; 

The dead revive, to life return, 

And bid affection cease to mourn. 

5 Canst thou, my soul! these wonders trace, 
And not admire Jehovah’s grace ? 

Canst thou behold thy Prophet’s power, 

And not the God he served adore ? 

Butcher. 


47. C. M. 

Habitual Devotion. 

1 While thee I seek, protecting Power! 

Be my vain wishes stilled; 

And may this consecrated hour 
With better hopes be filled. 

2 Thy love the powers of thought bestowed ; 

To thee my thoughts would soar: 

Thy mercy o’er my life has flowed 
That mercy I adore ! 

3 In each event of life, how clear 

Thy ruling hand I see ! 

Each blessing to my soul more dear, 
Because conferred by thee. 

4 In every joy that crowns my days, 

In every pain I bear, 

My heart shall find delight in praise, 

Or seek relief in prayer. 

5 When gladness wings my favoured hour, 

Thy love my thbughts shall fill: 
Resigned, w^hen storms of sorrow lower, 

My soul shall meet thy will. 


2o0 


6 My lifted eye, without a tear, 

The gathering storm shall see ; 

My steadfast heart shall know no fear: 

That heart shall rest on thee ! 

Miss Williams. 


48. 7s. m. 

The Shortness of Life. 

1 While with ceaseless course the sun 
Hasted through the closing year, 

Many souls their race have run, 

Never more to meet us here! 

2 Finished here probation’s day, 

They have done with all below; 

We a little longer stay, 

But how little none can know. 

3 As the winged arrow r flies 
Quick, the destined mark to find; 

As the lightning from the skies 
Darts, and leaves no trace behind : 

4 So our brief and transient days 
To their end speed swiftly on ; 

Soon we pass life’s little space, 

Here to-day, to-morrow gone. 

5 Thanks for mercies past, recieve ; 

Pardon of our sins renew ; 

Teach us, Lord ! by faith to live. 

With eternity in view. 

6 Bless thy word to young and old; 

Fill our hearts with ft'ial love; 

And, when life’s short tale is told, 

May w r e dwell with thee above! 

Olney Hymns, sit’d 


251 


49 . L. M. 


The one Thing needful. Luke x. 42. 

1 Why should we waste,' in trifling cares, 

The lives divine compassion spares, 

While, in the various range of thought, 

The one thing needful is forgot ? 

2 Shall God invite us from above, 

Shall Jesus urge his dying love, 

Shall wakened conscience give us pain, 

And all these pleas unite in vain? 

3 Not so our eyes will always view 
The objects which we now pursue; 

Not so eternity appear, 

When death’s decisive hour is near. 

4 Almighty God ! thine aid impart 
To fix conviction on the heart: 

Thy power can clear the darkest eyes, 

And make the haughtiest scorner wise. 

Doddridge, alt’d. 


50 . L. M. 


Consolation to surviving Friends. 
iVeep not for me, but weep, for yourselves. Luke xxiii. 28. 

1 Why weep for those, frail child of woe, 
WhoWe fled and left thee mourning here ? 
Triumphant o’er their latest foe, 

They glory in a brighter sphere. 

2 Weep not for them ;—beside thee now 
Perhaps they watch with guardian care, 
And witness tears that idly flow 

O’er those who bliss of angels share. 


252 


3 Or round their Father’s throne, above, 
With raptured voice his praise they sing: 
Or on,his messages of love 

They journey with unwearied wing. 

4 Space cannot check, thought cannot bound 
The high exulting souls, whom he, 

Who formed these millions worlds around, 
Takes to his own eternity. 

5 Weep, weep no more ; their voices raise 
The song of triumph high to God ; 

And, wouldst thou join their song of praise, 
Walk humbly in the path they trod. 


W. Boston Coll. 


THE END 












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